Fallen: The Definition of a Hero
by kaycie51782
Summary: Donnia doesn't think of herself as a hero despite what everyone else says. But can a hero truly be a hero if they are so reluctant? (Through chapter 13 done)
1. Everything

Prologue - Everything  
  
There was no sun, no clouds, no birds. There was no sky for them to call home.  
  
Rock grew up on all sides, for this was the Underdark. The solid rock was a  
  
hindrance more than it helped. Every footstep, whisper reverberated almost  
  
endlessly. Eventually someone was going to hear it and know that they were  
  
coming.  
  
"This seems like a good enough place to make camp," the apparent leader of the  
  
small group called to the others. "We aren't too close to either the beholders,  
  
or the illithid."  
  
The apparent leader, though felt no ties to the title, exuded an aura of power  
  
and control to all those around her. It never overpowered them, but seemed to  
  
bolster them, giving them hope and confidence in whatever task lay before them.  
  
Separated, her features bore no resemblance to anything powerful. However, the  
  
whole of her was something many people sought to behold.  
  
Donnia Thensbane was on her third grand-scale adventure. She had much more  
  
experience than most would grant her, but most did not know her.  
  
She stood at a quite tall 5'10". Her long fire-red hair pulled off her face by a  
  
short bit of rope and hung down her back. Her eyes, an almost indescribable  
  
green, quickly surveyed the land before her, taking in every detail. Should  
  
there be an attack in the night, such information would be handy.  
  
For the first time in days she removed her sword and sheath and laid them aside  
  
to help make camp. Immediately she welcomed the relief from its weight. Though  
  
during a battle, her weapon was no more an encumbrance than her own arms. It  
  
served as an extension of her body, and a deadly one at that.  
  
She had been traveling with her current companions for a short period of time,  
  
but already they had melded together to form an all but impenetrable front.  
  
Their rhythms offset the others' in perfect balance. Already they had proven  
  
their strength in battle, and sadly, they would have to prove it again.  
  
Her companions also gave the group an interesting appearance. They were not  
  
those that you would often find traveling together. Donnia, being a human from  
  
the surface, had met up with Nathyrra and Valen Shadowbreath upon arriving in  
  
the Underdark. Nathyrra was a Drow sorceress who had also great skills as an  
  
assassin. She had turned her back on her Drow counterparts to join up with the  
  
Seer and the fellow believers of Elistraee. Like most of the Drow, she was  
  
beautiful. Her hair was long and, what little light there was reflected from her  
  
hair to make it seem as though it glowed. Her armor, a dark breastplate, had  
  
been made especially for her. It never hampered her movements, but seemed to  
  
give her added mobility instead.  
  
Valen was a tiefling, a half human half demon, who had fought in the Blood Wars  
  
for an immeasurable amount of time. He too was with the Seer when she first came  
  
to the Underdark in Lith My'athar. He had sworn to protect the Seer and her  
  
followers with his life. He had done the same for Donnia when she agreed to help  
  
the Seer, and all of the Underdark for that matter, in fighting the great  
  
Valsharess.  
  
Despite swearing to protect her, Valen never fully trusted Donnia. There was  
  
good reason; she was a surfacer, she knew nothing of the Underdark, except for  
  
that she had learned by her current experience. She had also had a geas placed  
  
upon her, forcing her to go into the Underdark. However, after facing down  
  
golems, duergar, and some Drow already, she never seemed to falter in her cause.  
  
She never did anything to endanger the group. In fact, it seemed as though she  
  
went out of her way to protect them. For instance, each night when they would  
  
stop to rest, she always took first watch. If whoever was next did not wake up  
  
in time to relieve her, she stayed up and let them rest until they did wake up.  
  
Even after retiring to her own blankets, she was always on the ready for battle.  
  
In his mixed heritage, Valen produced an interesting image. He stood very tall  
  
at 6'4". Most of the time his eyes were a compelling blue. Sometimes though, in  
  
battle, they would turn searing red, striking more fear into his opponent than  
  
his actual attack. If his eyes did not do the trick, his horns usually got  
  
attention, as did his tail. However, to Donnia, they were interesting. Never  
  
before had she ever met anyone like him, in appearance nor personality.  
  
"Donnia?" Valen asked. "Will you be taking first watch again?"  
  
"Yes, unless you would prefer to do it." She truly did not mind being on watch.  
  
She usually only half-slept anyway, and was most always on guard for an attack.  
  
Valen carefully thought over his words, "No, but would you mind...company?"  
  
"Not at all." Company? Donnia thought to herself. He's barely spoken to me the entire time we've been out here.  
  
At this Valen seemed almost relieved. "Good. I'm not all that tired, and you have spent some time asking questions  
  
about me and the things I've done...I was hoping you would tell me about  
  
yourself."  
  
This was not the first time someone had wanted to know more about her, but it  
  
was really the first time she had wanted to tell it. Though she was thankful that he was wanting to speak on something more than the situation at hand. "What do you want to know?"  
  
At this, Valen hesitated, and appeared to blush. "Everything." 


	2. Training

Chapter 1 - Training

"Now, Donnia, if you are ever to get this right you have to practice," Donnia's father said to her. "There is no point in learning anything if you don't develop it to best of your ability."

"I know, Dad, but I'm just so excited that you're finally teaching me." Donnia had not stopped smiling since when her father had agreed to start teaching her how to use a sword.

Rael Thensbane was moved that his daughter would want to be a city guard like him. He had explained to her that women were not allowed to be guards, and she had accepted it. Donnia did not want to be a guard to change things. She told her father that she wanted to have her children want to be like her as much as she wanted to be like him now.

Donnia watched, eyes intent on her father, as he showed her another basic defensive move. He came behind her and guided her arms before stepping back to watch her do it on her own.

"Donnia, you must hold the sword higher or your head will be chopped off."

Donnia laughed, "It might help in my defense if I weren't fighting with a wooden sword."

"You can use a real sword when you're older."

"But, I'm older now than I was five minutes ago," Donnia pouted.

"Darling, I would love nothing more than to train you with a real sword so that you will get the most benefit from this, but your mother would kill me," Rael smiled. "Now, you keep practicing, I'm going inside to talk to your mother."

After her father left, Donnia just sat down and looked at her practice sword. It was nothing grand, just some wood fashioned in the shape of a sword, but it meant more to her than almost anything in the world.

She had been begging her father to train her to fight. When she was older she was going to be a member of the city guard, just like her father. She did not care what the city said, it was her destiny, she just knew it.

"Donnia, love, your dinner is getting cold," Laitha, Donnia's mother, called from the door.

She raced inside, eager for what new meal her mother had fixed. Laitha Thensbane was by far, the best cook in all the Frozen North. Her family was not the only ones to feel that way. Her father's friends in the city guard had all come to her house to eat at least once; most of them had come several times. It was possibly connected to the fact that Laitha made magical potions. She owned a shop in the city of Neverwinter. Most of her patrons were the adventurers who all stopped through the city to be granted the opportunity to speak with Lord Nasher Alogandar, the ruler of Neverwinter and famed adventurer through out all of Faerun.

Laitha walked her last customer of the day to the door, locking it behind them. She walked through her store making sure that all was in place for the next day's customers. The day had not been all that busy, but she still had quite a few gold coins that she had to carry home. She knew that there were those who would kill even over one small coin, but she was not worried. She had fashioned an inside pocket of her dress that kept the coins out of sight and from clinking together and making noise. She went into her back room where no one could see her to put the coins in their pocket. She checked herself in the mirror to make sure that no bulge could be seen and left her shop.

As she stepped out the door a soft rain began to fall.

She was intent on getting home before Donnia returned home from school. At first, she had been against her learning how to handle a sword. However, she could see now that she was quite adept at handling herself and the sword despite being so young. However, Laitha still prayed every night that her daughter would never have to use those techniques to defend herself.

Lost in thought, she never noticed the shadow that followed hr around every corner.

_Crash!_

Donnia slowly opened her eyes, a grimace on her face. Only a slight murmur could be heard when she saw what had happened. She was practicing inside, knowing she was not supposed to. In her eagerness to learn all that her father was teaching her, she was practicing the moves he had been showing her over the last few months almost nonstop. Currently, that meant practicing inside since it was raining. She had rushed home after school hoping to beat her mother so she could get in even just a few extra minutes of practice.

The mirror lay in shards and small pieces scattered across her floor. Before taking a step, Donnia heard her mother come in from downstairs. Before she could even think of the trouble she would be in, she heard a knock on the door. She carefully pulled on her boots so as not to cut her feet on the glass and headed for the stairwell.

When she reached the top of the stairs she saw her mother speaking with a man Donnia had never seen before. He was very tall and was wearing a dark cloak that barely allowed her to see his face. Just as she was headed back for her room, she heard her mother cry out in pain.

Donnia turned as the strange man hit her mother again. Without thinking Donnia rushed forward, wooden sword in hand.

"Bitch, I know you have that money on you. I know you carry home a small fortune in gold coins. Now hand it over and I'll spare your life," the strange man demanded.

Laitha turned at the sound coming from the stairs, "Donnia! No! Run!" her mother cried out to her in her final breath. The man stabbed her mother with his dagger and turned as he heard Donnia. The first thing she noticed was his eyes. They were cold, depthless, yet deep enough that Donnia felt lost in them.

"You think you can hurt me, you little bitch, with that?" he said, gesturing to her practice sword. "Come on, I'll even give you a free..."

Before the last word had escaped his lips, Donnia swung out as hard as she could, striking his knee, bringing him to her level. Before he could stand up, she started swinging at his head, striking harder than she thought she could.

Donnia never stopped fighting him. She used every ounce of her being to attack the man who had just killed her mother in front of her. He stabbed her once in the arm, and once in her leg. However, her blows to his head never faltered. Finally, he fell dead from her attack.

Consumed by her exhaustion, grief, and pain, Donnia collapsed to the floor, her body falling between her mother, guarding hr then as she had been unable to do earlier, and the strange man.


	3. Emotions Break Through

I incorporated the lyrics from the song by Evanescence called "Whisper". I don't own those lyrics.

Chapter 2 – Emotions Break Through

Valen studied Donnia's face. He could feel her sorrow rolling from her in waves. "Are you sure you want to continue? You look upset."

Donnia closed her eyes for a brief moment to try to hold back her emotions. "I'll be fine; I always am."

It was obvious that she was not okay, nor would she be in the near future. Her eyes were haunted; going from a crystalline green to a shadowed grey. "Maybe that's the problem," he whispered.

Donnia did not say anything to this. She had nothing to say. He was right. She never let her emotions have a role in her life. Even in the death of her mother she just plowed on and never looked back, until now. _How could he already know me so well_, she wondered to herself.

"I know that I don't know much about surfacers, but I do know that losing your mother could not have been easy for you."

Donnia gave a weak smile, "No, it wasn't easy. But I had to continue my life. It's in the past now, so what does is matter?"

Despite not really having ever truly known his mother, he could not hide the shock at hearing her say such a thing, "It was your mother! You saw her murdered and had her attacker turn on you and injure you." Valen paused, already seeing where this was headed. What little he did know of Donnia, he already knew the answer to the next question, "You never cried did you?"

She looked at Valen sharply, "And what of it? Do you think that everyone cries at something someone considered hurtful, painful, or worse? What does crying have to do with it?! It was my fault anyway!" she shouted at him. She shut her eyes tightly and whispered so softly, Valen had to lean forward to hear her, "Tears can't change that."

"Donnia, it was not your fault," he said in a low voice. "No one would blame a child for something like that. You did everything you could. It's not your fault," he said again.

She felt her throat closing, knowing tears were not far behind. She ordered herself not to let them fall. How would it look if the leader of this group was reduced to tears by telling a story that had happened many years ago? Besides, she knew that Valen did not trust her; no doubt this would make him more wary of placing that much needed trust if she were to lose control over her emotions.

He could see her fighting her emotions. From what he had observed, he knew her to be strong, but he knew who would win that battle.

Before she could stop it, one tear spilled over and ran down her cheek. She went to wipe it away, but Valen stopped her. Unsure what guided his motions, very gently he brushed his thumb over her cheek and removed the tear. Donnia looked up at him, eyes swimming with raw grief. Without thinking, he cautiously and slowly held out his arms to her. She looked at him in confusion for only the briefest of moments before falling into those arms and crying.

Her body shook with each sob. Never before had he seen anything like this. No one he had ever encountered had such strong emotions. He did not understand how she could have battled them inside for so long. However, he began to wonder if her battle was just like his own: fighting against feeling and urges until they finally erupted. He offered no words of comfort, he could think of none to offer, but just held her while she emptied herself of years of bottled up anguish.

Her sobs quieted, but she made no motion to remove herself from his embrace. It was the safest she had felt in over fifteen years. He's so warm, she though to herself. How does he do it in this dark place?

Valen still said nothing, but looked down at her as she eventually pulled away. Her face was streaked with tears, her eyes were raw and red, but she looked better. There was no war going on behind those eyes any longer. He had no explanation as to why he had done as he had, but seeing her once again crystal-green eyes looking back at him, he began to understand.

"I'm sorry," was the first thing Donnia could think to say.

"Don't apologize. That was long overdue and you know it as well as I." Must she always feel so about her emotions? he wondered to himself. _As you do, yourself_, he thought.

"Then all I can say is thank you." Donnia was a bit wary as to why he had suddenly gotten over his urge to not speak to her outside of warnings and saying how he did not trust her, but in truth, she did feel better. If for nothing else, she could thank him for that and hope that maybe there might be a change in how they regarded one another from that time.

Valen smiled softly, "I believe it is Nathyrra's turn for watch."

Donnia nodded her head and turned to wake Nathyrra for her watch. He doesn't do that near often enough, she thought. That is maybe the third time he had smiled since leaving Lith My'athar two weeks ago for the Isle of the Maker. He really is quite handsome when he smiles, her thoughts continued, even more so because it is always so unexpected.

Surprised at herself and her thoughts, she almost violently shook her head to clear those thoughts from her mind. They were very uncharacteristic of her, and besides, this was not the time for them to start.

The faces were surrounding her. Their voices calling out to her, wanting her to join them. The victims of Nathyrra's assassination haunted her every dreaming moment. Sometimes, she could even see their faces in her wakefulness. Now, they were beckoning her to come ever closer to their side.

She fought back against them, but her fear and struggling only fed into their strength.

The world around her was shadowed and foreboding. No light of ever needed hope was shining in the distance. The wailing of the dead came around her in a great crescendo, yet there was some other noise. Something else was out their, calling to her. At first, she was afraid. _It's just a trick to lure me in_, she thought. That voice kept calling to her, wanting her to come find it.

At last, she found her beam of hope.

She moved to the voice, hearing it clearly, despite the voices surrounding her. Each time it faded she would call out to it, and give it strength in her hope for it. She wanted this nightmare to end and she knew if she could find the source of that voice it would be.

The sound of the voice was soft, melodic. "Please!" she called out to it, "Help me! Save me! 'Catch me as I fall. Say you're here and it's all over now.'" Nathyrra felt as though she were talking to the air, but knew better. _I'm 'speaking to the atmosphere. _A sliver of panic rushed through her, _No one's here and I fall into myself_, she thought to herself. _This is the truth. This I cannot ignore. 'This truth drives me into madness._'

The voice called back to her, "'I know [you] can stop the pain if [you] will it all away.'"

The dead called back to Nathyrra and the voice of hope, "'Don't turn away!'"

The soft voice called back, shining a little more hope into Nathyrra's heart, "'Don't give into the pain, though they're screaming your name.'"

Nathyrra tried to close her eyes, to block it all out, but the voice called to her, "'Don't close your eyes...[I] know what lies behind them. Don't turn out the light.'"

Nathyrra called out to the voice, " If I 'never sleep' I'll 'never die'."

Donnia hurried to Nathyrra's side, hearing her struggles in her sleep. She carefully shook her side, hoping to bring her from her nightmare.

Nathyrra bolted awake at the touch of Donnia's hand. Tears streamed down her face. Without waiting for Donnia to say anything, Nathyrra began to try and explain. "'I'm frightened by what I see, but somehow I know that there's so much more to come. Immobilized by my fear, and soon to be blinded by tears'." What the voice had said to her, came back _'[You] can stop the pain if [you] will it all away_'.

Donnia used Nathyrra's break in her explanation to ask, "Nathyrra, what are you talking about?"

"'Fallen angels at my feet. Whispered voices at my ear. Death before my eyes. Lying next to me, I fear. She beckons me. Shall I give in? Upon my end shall I begin forsaking all I've fallen for? I rise to meet the end'."

"Nathyrra, I know there is nothing I can say to make this all go away. Please, just know that if you ever need someone to listen, I will always be here for you."

Nathyrra smiled wanly, "I know that now. And I do feel better just saying it aloud in safety. You get some sleep." Nathyrra turned away to sit at the best vantage point over their small camp to keep watch over them in their sleep.

Donnia woke to darkness again, but knew it was time to move on. For the first time in as long as she could remember, she did not relive that horrid day as a child in her nightmares.

She rose and heard Valen and Nathyrra stirring, so she knew they too were getting ready for the day.

Her armor in place, her sword at her side, Donnia joined her group. Expecting awkwardness from her encounter with Valen the night before, she was surprised when she felt none. Valen watched her as she approached and was pleased to note that her eyes remained unhaunted.

Nathyrra glanced from Donnia back to Valen, trying to suppress a grin. She knew that Valen had suffered a great loss during the Blood Wars, just as she knew that the first time she had seen him smile was with Donnia. Besides, it gave her something else to think on other than her nightmares. "Where shall we head today, Donnia?" Nathyrra called to her. "Beholders or illithid?"

"We should head for the beholders. I want to put off facing a brain extraction as long as possible," she added with a grin.

With little more than that, the three of them set off to face that day's dangers.


	4. A Dream Come True

Chapter 3 – A Dream Come True

Rael grieved for years over his lost wife. They had loved so greatly and she had been killed so quickly. Worse than all of that was he felt he had lost his daughter as well. It had been four years since Laitha had been murdered and Donnia never seemed to come back to him.

He felt responsible for everything. He was not at home when that man had forced his way inside. He was not there to defend the two people he loved more than his own life. He felt he had let them both down.

He had stopped training Donnia in how to use a sword. He did not want her to be a guard anymore. He never wanted to have his daughter be forced to use a weapon again.

Donnia grieved for years over her lost mother. She had loved her so greatly and watched her be killed so quickly. Worse than all of that was she felt she had lost her father as well. It had been four years since Laitha had been murdered and Rael never seemed to come back to her.

She felt responsible for everything. She was upstairs practicing when she should have been downstairs doing her chores. She was too slow in getting to her mother's side. She could not protect her mother with the attack procedures her father had taught her. She felt she had let them both down.

She never stopped practicing the moves her father had once taught her. He had stopped showing her more, but she just tried to perfect the old ones. More than ever did she want to be a guard.

Donnia was twelve years old and was planting in her mother's garden, waiting for her father to return home from Neverwinter. She had taken over her mother's jobs around the house, but was not old enough to have a real job and be paid. Some day, she told herself, she would have a job and her family would be okay again.

"Donnia, love, I'm home," Rael called from the doorway.

She turned to him and slowly walked to give him an empty hug. Rael's heart broke every time she looked up at him with those haunted eyes. She used to run into his arms when he would return home, full of laughter and joy. Now, she stared up at him with eyes that were much too old for her.

"What should we have for dinner tonight?" Rael asked her hoping she would say something, anything. He remembered when they would joke about the meal, the three of them never agreeing on what they would want to eat. Each naming something they would want that was undesirable to the others, so in turn they would name something that was truly disgusting, each building upon the image of sickening ideas until all three had lost their appetites and were reduced to mere giggles and groans of stomach-turning delight.

Instead of remembering the game they would play, Donnia went into the kitchen to start preparing the meal.

"That sword is indeed a good one, but I feel that you will be better off if you purchase this one," Donnia spoke to the man in front of her. He was one of the many adventurers she had met in her few months working with a blacksmith in Neverwinter. She handed him the bastard sword so that he might compare the two.

"Donnia, you know your weapons and your customers. Grot'yah is indeed a lucky businessman to have you working with him," Pavel told her. "In fact, I heard some of the other blacksmiths trying to come up with a way to get you to work for them."

Donnia smiled at him, "I won't be leaving Grot'yah anytime soon. I really love working here. He was so patient with me in the beginning, teaching me about the different swords and how to market to people."

"He did a fine job at it, and I would not be surprised if someday I walk into your own store to purchase a weapon." With that, he paid her and walked out with his newest sword.

At 20, Donnia had finally found a job that would allow her to work around the weapons she so adored and could make money so that things would not be so hard at home. Rael still worked as a guard, but he was getting old and the city had cut his hours. Any money Donnia could provide was much needed.

At the end of the day Donnia helped to close up the shop for the night. As she walked home she saw several people she knew gathered around a posting. Curious to know what they were all reading, she joined them.

The Wailing Death had just made its appearance in Beggar's Nest. Several people had already died, and countless more were infected. The guard was stretched thin in trying to control riots in the other parts of the city as well as keep the plague from spreading.

Many of her friends were gathered about the notice. Donnia peered over their shoulders, which was not hard to do at her height, and read the summons.

"Due to the outbreak of the Wailing Death, the city is calling for any who would answer this call. The Academy will train you in the ways of the city guard, for its current numbers are dwindling. All are welcome; none will be turned away..."

It continued on for several more lines, but Donnia did not need to read the rest. This was her chance; she was going to be a city guard at last. She was about to rush home to tell her father when she remembered that he was still stationed in the city center.

She knew the city like her own home. Though she rarely traveled into the separate parts, she was most always found in the city center. She found her father patrolling the gate near the Docks. "Father! I have wonderful news!"

Rael turned at the sound of his daughter's voice. "Well out with it then; don't leave an old man hanging in suspense." The smile on his daughter's face was something he had yearned to see in a long time.

"Lord Nasher has issued a call to any who want to be trained as a guard. I'm finally going to follow through on my dream."

Inside, Rael's heart tripped and broke. He knew how much his daughter still wanted to be a guard, but he also knew that things were not like they used to be. The Wailing Death had changed everything. However, he would cut off his arm before he would dampen her joy. "I'm so proud of you. Where will you be going?"

"The training is to take place at the Academy in Beggar's Nest. There is an underground passage so no one will be exposed to the plague. I'm going to run home and get what I'll need. I love you, Father."

"And I love you, Donnia."


	5. Mistrust

Chapter 4 - Mistrust

"I think that is supposed to be a bridge, but I'm not going to cross it to find out," Nathyrra said to others. "There's almost nothing to it."

"Wait, what's that?" Valen asked, pointing to what appeared to be a control device of some type.

Donnia walked up to it and studied it. The display showed eight possible commands in a language she did not recognize written on separate buttons, plus there was one button that glowed. The display showed four markers. "Let's see what happens."

"Donnia, do you think that's wise?" Valen asked as she reached to press one of the strange buttons. "Do you understand what it says?"

"No, but it appears as though it is what controls the bridge, and we have to cross the bridge to get to the beholders." Taking a deep breath, Donnia pressed the top button.

Nothing horrible happened. In fact, the only thing that did happen was the display picture changed. One of the markers moved.

Experimenting, Donnia pressed the second button. Again, one of the markers moved. "Do you have anything to write with?" Donnia asked Valen and Nathyrra.

Nathyrra produced a small bit of ink and some parchment. Donnia went through the rest of the buttons, excluding the one that was glowing, and wrote down the changes produced on the display. She looked it over several times before figuring out what the words meant.

"I've got it!" Donnia exclaimed. "I know what the words mean!"

The others rushed over to her as she began explaining it. "Galoon is row one, Snirk is row two, Puckin is row three, and Zapp is row four."

Valen asked, "But what of the other two words? What do they mean?"

"They are directional. Vikkik moves to the left and Oring moves to the right."

Valen thought this over. "But what do we do with it now that we know what they mean?"

"If it is indeed the bridge control, we need to draw the bridge on the display."

"Line them up so they make a straight line like a bridge," Valen said to Donnia. He handed her back the bit of paper and watched her as she moved the markers around to 'build' the bridge. She was unlike anyone he had ever known before. For starters, when she first met him, she showed no signs of fear or revulsion toward him for his appearance. Most had different reactions, but there were always two common themes, hate and fear. Yet she approached him only with the question of whether he would join her on her quest through the Underdark.

He came out of his thoughts when he heard Donnia call to him, from the other side of the bridge. He ran over to her, "Donnia, do you have a minute?" he asked, falling into step beside her.

"Yes, Valen, what is it?"

"After this, when everything is over, what are you planning on doing?"

"Honestly? I don't know. I'll probably go back up to the surface and see if Durnan needs any help, or anyone else in Waterdeep for that matter," Donnia replied. "I'll just go where I'm needed."

"And what of the reward?" He needed to know if she was here to help, or just to gain more fame and fortune. He knew that the only thing that was physically holding her there to help was the geas that Halaster had placed upon her.

Donnia would not let his questions hurt her. He had every right to question her. In fact, if he did not doubt her as he was, she would be questioning him and his word to protect the Seer, and her as well, but it did not make it hurt any less. "I will not ask for one. I'm not here to add to my purse, nor to add to my list of accomplishments. The Valsharess targeted me and tried to have me killed the night I arrived in Waterdeep. Yes, I was forced down here under Halaster's geas, but I was coming anyway. She attacked me and those who had shown me kindness at the Yawning Portal. I am not about to let her get away with it. I will not betray the Seer. You have to believe me." She added softer, "She means the world to me too."

Valen wanted to ask what she meant but figured this was not the time not the place to do so. "I have to be sure. I feel as though that nothing I do could ever make up for what the Seer did for me. I vowed to protect her with my life. I do not know what I would do if I failed her."

"Valen, you will not fail her by helping me. I don't want to see anything happen to her, nor anyone else in Lith My'athar that does not deserve it. I vowed to stop the Valsharess before she could rule the Underdark. I do not know what I would do if I failed in that."

Valen studied her face as she spoke those words. He was beginning to believe her. He glanced over at Nathyrra, and she pretended not to be paying attention. She backed up a few steps and began examining the rock behind her. "There is one other thing I wanted to ask you about before we got back under way," Valen asked, turning back to Donnia.

"What is it?" Donnia asked. She was glad to have moved to another subject. They were not going to be very successful if they didn't trust one another.

"When you first arrived in the Underdark and met the Seer, Nathyrra, and Iâ€you didn't seemâ€affected by my appearance."

"Should I have been?" Donnia asked.

"It seems as though everyone usually acts differently when they are confronted with someone like me. Most everyone is afraid on sight."

"If you're referring to your horns, I think they're intriguing."

Valen absently reached a hand up to one, "Intriguing? How so?"

"I've never met anyone like you before. I was hoping you would agree to come with me for this," Donnia replied. She was especially glad he was there with her for what had happened the night before. "Part of it was wanting to know what kind of person you were that so many had put their faith in you. Another part was that you know this area so well and we are running out of time. That knowledge is invaluable right now. And lastly, I wanted to show you that I could be trusted."

Valen opened his mouth to say something but before he could say a word a drider came down from the rocks above and attacked them.

Without a word the three of them joined together in the attack. Nathyrra quickly cast a spell to stop the drider from trapping them all in a web. Donnia pulled out her sword as Valen gripped his flail.

In a short amount of time the drider was defeated. It was an easy battle, for there was just the one drider. They were lucky that there were not more of them.

"Are you both alright?" Donnia asked as she regained her breath.

"I'm fine, were you injured?" Valen replied.

"No, but let's take that as a sign we've lingered here too long. The beholders' cave is not far ahead. Let's press on."

Valen almost stopped her, to make her finish what she had started to say, but before he had the chance to say anything she was already several steps ahead and moving farther away quickly. It seemed he would just have to wait until later.

After their run in with the drider they moved quieter. Unfortunately that also meant that they moved slower. With time running out, they knew that getting the beholders to stop in their support of the Valsharess would be invaluable.

Valen still played over in his mind what Donnia had last said to him, showing that she could be trusted. What did she want from him? How was he supposed to act? She showed up out of nowhere and suddenly everyone was supposed to put their lives in her hands? He had to know more before he could trust her with everything that was important to him. He understood that the Seer had been given a vision from her goddess, but being from the Planes he did not think of the goddess's power as something to go unchallenged; it was part of his own personal beliefs.

Valen could feel the scowl on his face and tried to relax it before Donnia or Nathyrra asked him about it. Looking up to see if he had been caught in his thoughts, his eyes strayed to Donnia. She had said that she had never known anyone like him before. He understood that feeling. She was unlike any other person he had ever encountered. He too had been surprised when he had noticed the color of her hair; he thought he was the only one with that remarkable blood-color. He ran his eyes down the length of her hair, trailing almost to her waist, as it moved with her graceful steps.

He could almost chuckle. How someone could be graceful in full-body armor was beyond him, but she managed to be that and so much more. Looking harder at her armor he could tell that it had been fitted especially for her; hugging tight to the natural curves of her body, covering her arms fully and even being long enough to cover her legs. He watched as those legs covered the ground in large steps but still managing to be quiet. He had never before seen a woman, specifically a human woman to be so tall with such long legs.

His eyes stayed there wondering if her parents were tall when he realized what he was doing. Before he could prevent it a hot blush crept from his neck to cover his face at realizing that he had been staring at her legs for an extended period of time.

Without his knowledge, Nathyrra had seen him staring at Donnia's legs. She had also seen the bright red his skin had turned in his self-embarrassment. She turned away so that her grin would also go unnoticed.

Trying to get his mind off of Donnia's physical features he thought of what kind of person she was from what he had seen of her during their time together. She was almost always so calm despite knowing that the Valsharess was trying at every chance she got to have her killed and that she even had the support of most of the Underdark behind her. There was this glow around her even in the darkest depths of the dungeons and caves that they had already explored. He wondered what it was about her that caused it.

The few times that they had spoken in length she always answered him directly, never moving around in circles to dodge the issue, even if it was something she did not wish to discuss. She had given her word that she would not betray the Seer or the other rebels, but he still felt as though he did not know her well enough to trust her or even know what her word would be worth. If he only knew that he was one of only a handful of people that knew her well at all. There was no one left to know her.

She had made him smile.

She had never led them into danger that could have been avoided. She took extra care when exploring new territories so that the chance of harm coming to them would be reduced.

She had made him smile.

She often would forsake her own comfort for the comfort of Nathyrra and himself. She would always be certain that they would be healed and well before she would tend to her own wounds.

She had made him smile.

Even now remembering the way she had asked about the "favor" he had performed to get out of the Planes still managed to pull a grin from his scowl. It was as if she had been flirting with him, but Valen quickly discarded the thought, but the smile remained.

Nathyrra almost wished she could show Donnia what she was missing being in the lead, but knew that it would be more fun to watch them figure it out on their own. She knew they would, for the Seer had said as much. As far as she knew, the Seer had yet to be wrong.

Valen was not the only one lost in his thoughts. Nathyrra too took this quiet chance to mull over some thoughts running rampant through her mind. She had wanted to apologize to Donnia the night before after holding the knife to her throat, but it did not seem as though she would have accepted one. Donnia had asked no questions and expected no answers. She had merely looked at Nathyrra waiting for her to tell her in her own time.

Before Nathyrra had never been one to speak of her emotions or tell someone her secrets. There was something different about Donnia, something that spoke to her without any words. She felt as though she could tell her everything and not worry about being judged.

Nathyrra was unsure how Valen felt, but Nathyrra was more than glad to be traveling with Donnia, even if it meant they walked into uncertain danger at every step.


	6. Graduation Day

Chapter 5 – Graduation Day

Training progressed quickly for Donnia. She was able to have fun doing it, but knew that it was dire circumstances that allowed her to be there. Only about 50 people answered the summons. So far, all had proven worthy.

However, no one could pass Donnia in attack procedures. Having practiced what her father had taught her for over 12 years gave her a slight advantage. Some of the students did not always like how Commander Herban treated them, but he wanted them to be prepared for any possibility.

Her teachers always commended her for her abilities. She may not have been the best when she came in, but she was quick to learn and her teachers knew she was meant for greatness.

As the day of her graduation neared, rumors began spreading that there was cure for the Wailing Death. During their training none of the students knew what was going on outside of their little world. Donnia didn't really know what the truth was. If there was a cure she hoped that it was being put to good use.

The morning of her graduation she rose early and dressed in her armor. It was nothing grand, for she could not afford much, but it would protect her. She grabbed her greatsword and the rest of her few supplies and left her room. Just as she left a familiar face was there to greet her.

"Pavel! What are you doing here?" Donnia recognized him as one of her frequent customers at Grot'yah's shop.

"Receiving training just like everyone else. I wondered who all of the teachers were talking about when they referred to their greatest student, but now I know it was you all along." Pavel had indeed heard from the teachers that she was the fastest learner and most diligent student in the entire Academy.

Donnia blushed, "I don't think I'm really all that grand. There are so many other students here who had so much more experience than I did in so many other fields, I don't know how I could be the best."

"That's why you're the best. They all thought they were good, and never practiced. You could always be found in the training halls practicing while everyone else wasted time. From what I hear you're going to get a special recommendation from Lady Aribeth."

"Are you being serious? Lady Aribeth herself will give me a special recommendation?" Donnia could hardly believe what Pavel had just told her. Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande, a paladin of Tyr, was in charge of the Academy. She was very powerful and very famous. She sat at the right hand of Lord Nasher Alogandar. To receive such high praises from her was beyond anything Donnia had ever imagined for herself.

Pavel grinned back at her, "You deserve nothing less. The ceremony starts in 30 minutes, I suggest you hurry."

Donnia hugged him and rushed from the dormitory. She passed several students on her way, all talking about the rumor of a cure. She went into the training halls where she ran into Commander Herban.

"Donnia, you must hurry. You don't want to be late for the ceremony," Herban called to her. "Lady Aribeth should not be kept waiting."

That comment stopped her in her tracks. Yes, she did believe Pavel and what he said, but only to a point. It meant so much more to hear it from one of her teachers. "So it is true then. Lady Aribeth will be there to give me that special blessing and recommendation?"

Herban let loose with rare laughter. "Of course it's true. My best pupil should not be overlooked. But don't just stand there. Get on in there for the ceremony."

At a loss for words, Donnia continued down the hallway to the great hall where the graduation ceremony would be taking place.

A guard stood outside the door, barring passage from anyone who did not belong there. However, when he saw Donnia approaching he greeted her and congratulated her on her accomplishments while at the Academy. Donnia smiled in return and walked through the door the guard held open for her.

There were about five other students Donnia recognized in the hall. Lady Aribeth stood at the far end of the hall. Slowly, Donnia approached her, not wanting to appear too eager.

"Lady Aribeth, I amâ€," Donnia started.

"Donnia Thensbane needs to introduction in the walls of the Academy. I have heard great things about you from all of your teachers. They tell me that you are their best student."

"Lady Aribeth, I don't feel that is fair to the other students," Donnia protested.

Aribeth smiled, "The other students feel it is completely fair. They agree with your teachers. Many of them told me how diligently you practice, even after getting it right once, you go until you don't get it wrong again. However, plans have changed. After the ceremony I must speak with youâ€Wait. Did you feel that?"

Donnia did feel it, and braced for the oncoming attack.

In a flash of light, four mages teleported into the main hall and began to attack the students and Aribeth. In the amount of time it took Donnia to unsheathe her sword, two students had already been killed by the mages' powerful magic. She ran to Aribeth's side where she was fighting one of the mages. Distracted by Aribeth, the mage did not account for Donnia's attack. He fell quickly, but two others still remained.

Magic sparks rained down around them during the battle. The fight was hard, for the mages had the advantage. True, the Academy was a training ground for city guards, but they were not prepared for an attack there.

As the last mage fell, Aribeth ran to Donnia. "I fear that was no random attack. I have a feeling that it was magically linked to me here. You must get to the stables."

Donnia was confused, "What's in the stables?"

"The cure for the Wailing Death. There are four Waterdavian Creatures that are being held there. You must hurry and make sure they are kept safe. Here, take this key, it will allow you passage to the stables. Please hurry! I will stay here and tend to this."

Donnia ran from the hall but was quickly stopped. The guard who had just let her in lay dead before her. A mage stood in front of her, blocking her path. "What?!? I was expecting Aribeth, not some whelp. No matter, I will dispatch of you like anyone else."

Donnia went to attack, but before she could he vanished and two goblins took his place. Goblins tend to be stupid and easy to kill, so Donnia was not concerned about them. What did concern her, though, was if there were enough of those goblins, they could pose a serious problem, especially if they had been trained.

Donnia ran through the halls, braced for another attack, where she once strolled safely. In an instant her world had changed. One thing she noticed as she rushed through the halls was the lack of anyone else. The only ones she ever saw were goblins, no students, no teachers, no one.

She entered the library and nearly wept for joy at the sight she beheld. "Pavel! Thank the gods! Are you okay?"

"Donnia! What happened? Where are the other students?" Pavel seemed as confused as she.

"You are the first person I have seen alive since I left the graduation ceremony in the great hall. Aribeth stayed there to tend the wounded, but it looked grim."

"Where are you headed?" Pavel asked.

"Aribeth sent me to the stables." Donnia was unsure if she should reveal why.

"Could I go with you?"

"Absolutely. I don't want to face this alone anymore than you do," Donnia replied. They quickly headed for the stables.

As they neared the last door before the entrance to the stables, another magical portal opened. This time, not just a mage came through. Several goblins, skeletons, and the mage himself all appeared. With a silent prayer, Donnia launched into battle with Pavel at her side.

The goblins were easily destroyed, the skeletons were tougher, but the mage was difficult. Donnia never faltered. She was wounded by one of his spells, but with Pavel fighting with her, she could stop him from casting while Pavel attacked.

When at last he fell dead, Donnia quickly drank a healing potion and ran into the stables.

What met her was beyond what she was prepared for. She made it just in time to see four strange creatures either run out the door of the stables or vanish in a portal. There were two other men fighting the goblins in the stable. One man was elvish with dark brown hair and an obvious cleric. The other was human with light grey hair. Between the four of them, the battle was over quickly with few injuries on their part.

"What happened? What were those creatures?" Donnia asked the elvish man.

"Those were the Waterdavian Creatures. And with their disappearance, the Wailing Death may kill us all."

The older man burst in, "Who are you and what are you doing here?"

"My name is Donnia Thensbane and Lady Aribeth sent me here to keep to creatures from escaping, but I see I was too late. I am sincerely sorry for not getting here sooner, but the attack on the Academy was worse than I thought."

The elvish man stepped between Donnia and the other man. "You must forgive Desther. He has been on edge since those creatures were first brought into Neverwinter. My name is Fenthick Moss, a cleric for Tyr. If Aribeth sent you then I welcome your help in this matter. Would you be willing to help us beyond today?"

Donnia never paused, "What do you need me to do?"

Fenthick smiled, "Meet me at the Hall of Justice in the city center within one week's time. You will receive your assignment then." With that, he and Desther left the stable.

"Donnia, do you have a moment?" Pavel asked.

"Yes, Pavel? What is it?"

"After all of this I realize now that this is not what I want. I want to go back home and live the simple life again."

"I wish you the best of luck, Pavel. Thank you for your help. I would not have made it without you."

"Thank you, Donnia. I know that whatever they ask of you, you will succeed." Pavel left the same way Fenthick and Desther did.

Donnia took a deep breath and left the Academy. Her first adventure was beckoning.


	7. An Offer You Shouldn't Refuse

Chapter 6 – An Offer You Shouldn't Refuse

"Nathyrra, do you have a moment?" Donnia asked as they moved for the beholder caves.

"Certainly, Donnia," Nathyrra replied. Since her offering of support the night before, she was willing to most anything for Donnia. Other than the Seer, Donnia was the only one who was willing to help her.

"Could you tell me more of the Red Sisters?" Donnia wanted to know any information that might be of some help in this quest.

"The Red Sisters are a group of well trained assassins that work for the Valsharess. I first ran into them a very long time ago, almost a lifetime ago. The Valsharess was not pleased with me or my actions so she sent some of her Red Sisters to kill me much in the way she had planned to kill you, Donnia."

Donnia well remembered her first encounter with the Drow in Waterdeep.

Nathyrra continued, "However, the Valsharess's plans were not going as she had initially hoped. I killed every assassin she sent to kill me. Eventually she asked me to join up with her. I was more valuable to her alive now, than dead. The training to become a Red Sister is very difficult. The entire time not only must you complete the training portion itself, but you must also kill every other Drow being trained with you."

"Isn't that inconvenient? The Valsharess would have many more assassins if they didn't all kill one another."

"Not at all. If they could not kill one another, they would quickly be killed on their assignments. My last assignment was to kill the Seer. When I went to kill her I found her in the temple, much as you did when you first arrived. I walked up to her, blade in hand, and she never showed fear. She sat there, calmly looking up at me. It was then that my life began to change. The Seer spoke to me and told me that Elistraee would accept me, even the assassin that I had become. She would forgive me for everything I had done if I were to turn my back on the Valsharess and the other Red Sisters at that moment. I did. I never went back to the Valsharess, and strangely, she has not sent anyone to kill me. You were lucky, Donnia that someone sent you that dream and woke you, or I fear all would have been lost in your passing."

"Well, since I am here, not dead, I will do everything in my power, and more so if possible, to stop the Valsharess and her apparent reign over the Underdark. You have my word on that."

Nathyrra gave a slight nod, knowing this would be true.

The belt Donnia wore cast a light in front of them, forming and changing eerie shadows from the faces of the rocks that surrounded them. Never before had Donnia been somewhere so bleak. Her heart wanted to give a little, surrender to the blackness, give in to the geas, but she knew she could not fail in this. For if she did, not only would the Underdark fall, but nothing would stand between the Valsharess and the surface.

The group forged ahead into the darkness when Donnia fell without warning or sound.

Donnia blinked several times, for what she saw was not what she expected. She stood in a large circular room overpowered by a large devil. There were several women standing along the walls, forming a circle of power.

"You are what I am supposed to fear?" a woman said to her. The woman wore a dark armor that did little to protect her from Donnia's observation. Her whip was coiled and grasped in one hand while the other hand was perched on her hip.

"You must be the Valsharess," Donnia said to the woman.

She grinned, "You are a smart one, I'll give you that. But I did not bring you here to introduce myself. I'm giving you a chance for power beyond the greatest dreams you have ever had. Join with me and we shall rule the world together."

Donnia paused, seeming to think the plan over, "What would I get out of this arrangement? How do I know you won't just kill me when I have helped you succeed?"

"I would give you my word, but I doubt that you would take it. If you agree to help me defeat the Seer and all other followers of Elistraee in Lith My'athar I would remove that annoying geas placed upon you, share my power with you, and not kill you as I have been planning to do all along."

Donnia paused again, "When you summoned me here, how did you know that I would not attack you and kill you?"

The Valsharess laughed, "Go ahead and try."

Donnia raised her sword and charged the woman, only to be thrown to the ground before she reached her.

"Do you honestly believe I would risk my life by bringing you here? I know your power; I would rather have you with me than kill you and waste talents such as yours. You cannot leave that circle until I grant you that power to do so. So, will you join me?"

"I would rather spend eternity in the hells than fight at your side."

"Be careful what you wish for, little surfacer. I can do whatever I want with you when I feel like it. Such are the benefits of commanding Mephistopheles, the archdevil and duke of the 8th Hell of Baator."

"Do with me as you wish, but I will kill you. If you think petty deals are going to sway me, then you have not done a very good job of defending your people."

The Valsharess seemed to glow with anger, "Have it your way. When you cry out in pain, begging me to deal with you, I shall only smile as your torture continues. Enjoy your death, for it shall be the last merciful thing I grant you."

Donnia was almost overcome in shock. Her mind was pulled back so long ago to the first time she had heard that statement. Suddenly, the ceremony room before her was a large open cavern with grey stone as the walls. The Valsharess slowly morphed into a lizard being, hissing with each breath. No, Donnia thought, this is not happening. I am not still there. She was defeated. I am not hallucinating.

She shook her head, trying to clear the shaded images, praying that they would disappear.

"Donnia! You must wake up! Find your way back!" a strange voice seemed to call to her from the darkness.

Donnia opened her eyes to the dreariness of the Underdark once more. Nathyrra appeared to be in a meditative state, casting some spell. Valen looked down at her with worried eyes. When she looked up at him he breathed a sigh of relief. Brushing her hair out of her face, Valen sat her up. "Are you okay? What happened? Are you injured? Did she hurt you?"

At the sound of his insistent voice, Nathyrra stopped her casting and looked at Donnia, thankful to see her awake. "Valen, give her a moment to come back."

Donnia took several deep breaths, but they did nothing to clear her mind. "What happened?"

Valen answered, "We were walking along when you suddenly dropped. I was able to catch you before you fell, but you had not merely tripped on something. You were gone. Your skin grew very cold and nothing we did would warm you. We could not wake you no matter what we tried. Where did you go? Where did she take you?"

"So you know it was the Valsharess?" Donnia asked. It was the Valsharess, not the Old One, Donnia kept reminding herself. Valen and Nathyrra were real. She was in the Underdark, not a powerful stone. However, a small bead of fear remained.

"We assumed as much, yes. She is the only one who would try such a thing."

"She took me to what I thought was her stronghold. There were several women surrounding me in this great circular room."

Nathyrra frowned, "That would be her ceremony hall. You are lucky to be alive. If she had injured you, your body would have felt the pain here."

"I fear it gets worse. She has summoned Mephistopheles, an archdevil of some hell."

"The 8th Hell of Baator. I know it well," Valen added with a weary look.

"It seems she has him bound to do her bidding. But that was not why she took me there, to show me her growing power. She wanted to make a deal with me, have me fight with her."

Valen's expression changed little, but a wave of anger, disbelief, and strangely, acceptance seemed to cascade from him over Donnia.

Donnia could not mask the look of hurt on her face at his question. She thought, _so quick to pass judgment, Valen?_ Looking at him directly she said, "She said that if I agreed to fight at her side that she would grant me power with her in her rule over the world."

Valen only scowled deeper. Nathyrra almost feared for Donnia given the tension arising from him.

Not breaking her focus on Valen, Donnia continued, "I told her that I would rather spend all of eternity in the hells than fight at her side. She then threatened me with torture both in life and after it. The last thing she said to me was to enjoy my death, for it would be the last merciful thing she would grant me." A threat that I am well familiar with, she continued in her mind. She had seen the look of complete distrust on Valen's face. Now she could not bring herself to look at him any longer. Does he really not trust me that much, she thought. Has nothing I have done proven my true intentions to him? We are never going to succeed if I cannot get him to trust me; and I thought we had moved so far already. Guess I was wrong again, Donnia's thoughts continued.

Without another word, Donnia rose, grabbed her sword and headed for the beholder caves, not caring if they followed her or not.


	8. The Beginning

Chapter 7 – The Beginning

The soft rain fell without making a sound. The dark gray clouds overhead muffled even the sloshing footsteps Donnia took as she made her way home. The cold was not so much but still found a way to creep deep into the bones, chilling from the inside as it chilled from the outside. Her long red hair was matted to her neck allowing more drops of rain to invade even through her armor. Her teeth chattering, Donnia longed even more for home with each step that drew her closer to her goal.

The road to her house was not as she remembered it. She doubted she would have forgotten the burning piles of diseased corpses that lined every street in the city of Neverwinter during her time at the Academy.

There were no sounds of families working together. Even the wind had stopped calling to the trees. Her house was dark; no candles lit the windows as they had for so many years. She reached out to the door, paying no attention to the scrap of paper in front of her. The door would not budge. Their house was never locked, for there was nothing in there to steal if someone wished to do so. Since her mother had died no money was kept in the house.

Staring back at the door in shock, her eyes fell to the notice that had been stuck to her front door: "This house has been condemned due to the spread of the Wailing Death. All inhabitants were killed. Do not enter and risk spreading it further."

What joy she had built up during her training withered and died as she read those few poorly scrawled words attached to her door. Everything she ever had in the world was gone.

For a moment Donnia stood there, lost. She almost forgot everything other than what had just happened in the past few moments.

She wept a little for her father, but did not linger on her doorstep long. She bashed in her door to gather her last few belongings.

On her way outside she lit every candle in every window, hoping some of the old warmth would come back to her, back into her home. She closed her eyes and was a child again. She could hear her mother laughing as her father picked her up and swung her around in his tight embrace. She could smell dinner cooking warm over the fire. She could feel love flowing through every fiber of her being.

Donnia opened her eyes and all she had ever known was gone again.

She went back through her house and knocked every candle to the floor, igniting the house. She shed one last tear and walked away as her past turned to ash.

The city center was also laden with burning corpses. The guards stood by to keep people from wandering too close and possibly becoming infected themselves.

Some people called out for mercy, for someone to end their suffering. Others called out for money, ale, or sex. The plague did not stop Ophala's girls from working.

The Hall of Justice stood as a beacon of hope in the once proud city. Upon entering its great doors, Donnia was almost overwhelmed by the grief. Several people who had been infected with the plague lined the floor. Nurses did what they could to help them, which was sadly limited to offering words of comfort and an ear to hear their cries of pain.

Fenthick had been watching Donnia as she surveyed the scene before her. He saw her pain, and most importantly, he saw her sympathy, and anger. As she neared him, he called out to her, "Donnia, you were quick to answer the summons."

Fenthick's voice brought her out of her thoughts. "I am ready to do as you need me."

Desther once again intruded into their conversation, "Fenthick, how are you be so certain that she will be able to help us? Just look at her! Her armor is tattered, her sword bent, and I doubt you missed that she is a woman."

Donnia did not pay much attention to him. She thought him irritating and an annoyance. She could not care less about his opinion of her. "I would have bought better armor and a better weapon had I the money to do so. However, my father was a guard for this city for many years, and he was repaid in his long years of service by not being allowed to make enough money to support himself, nor I, forcing me to get a job here in the city, instead of taking care of him as I needed to do."

Before Desther could retort, Fenthick stepped in, "Do not worry, Donnia, adequate supplies will be granted to you should you have need of them."

"Fenthick! Are you mad? She will rob us blind and make off with the money and the Waterdavian Creatures will be no more found than her virtue!"

Donnia merely replied, "I will look for these creatures for you to the best of my ability. In return I ask only that you trust me. I will not fail you, or the rest of Neverwinter, as long as there is breath in me."

This seemed to quiet Desther for a moment.

Fenthick seemed satisfied by this answer as well. "I am certain that you will complete this task set before you or my Lady Aribeth would not have asked you to help us. She is waiting for you in the main hall. Speak with her to better understand your new duty." With that, Fenthick gave her a slight bow and pointed her toward a large door at the end of the hall.

Lady Aribeth looked every bit the powerful paladin. She exuded power and beauty even in a room shrouded in hopelessness and death. "Lady Aribeth, I am here to help you."

Aribeth turned to her and gave her a bright smile. "Donnia! Thank Tyr you decided to help us. I wish I could give you brighter news, but you are our last and sadly, only hope. I had initially planned that the first students to graduate from the Academy would assist me with this cure, but I fear you are the only one left, graduate or not."

Donnia was unsure how her heart kept beating, but it merely stuttered in her chest and trudged along. _But there were so many!_ she thought. _How can they all be dead?_

Aribeth saw the flash of pain cross her face as what she had told her sunk in. "I fear your task is now two-fold. On top of finding and returning the Waterdavian Creatures, you must also look for any evidence as to who is behind their disappearance. Lord Nasher and I are in agreement that it must have been well-organized to be so successful in its task. Take this." Aribeth handed her a small gold coin that had four creatures carved upon it. "It holds the picture of the four creatures. It will guide you so as to know what you are looking for. As you find one, its picture will fade, leaving only those you must still find."

Donnia took the coin from her and placed it in her pack.

"Also, this is the Stone of Recall. It is linked to this temple so that whenever you have need of me just use it and I will be here to help you. Its power will also allow you to teleport back to where you last used it. Do you have any questions for me?"

Donnia's head reeled with hundreds of questions, none of which she thought Aribeth could answer. "Do you have any suggestions as to where I should start my quest?"

Aribeth was pleased with her question, "First off, I would find someone who would travel with you. You might find it difficult without some help. I'm sure you could find such help at any of the pubs in town. But do be careful as to whom you choose. Make sure it is someone that you would trust with your life. I would start looking for the Waterdavian creatures in the Peninsula District. There was a prison break there not long ago. Perhaps you could help the guards out there and they may know something that would be of help to you."

"I shall start there. Thank you, Lady Aribeth."

"One last thing, Donnia. Take this. It is 400 gold. You shall be requiring some supplies that I wish I could just give to you, but I cannot."

"That's more than enough. Thank you. I will begin at once." Donnia turned and left her.

Fenthick had watched their conversation from afar. He was pleased with the decision his love had made. "Aribeth, my love, do not fear. I have a strong feeling about her."

Aribeth clasped his hand, "Thank you, Fenthick. May Tyr watch over her in her journeys."

Donnia walked toward the door, not sure what to do next. She knew she must head to the Peninsula District soon, but she was still dizzy from all that had happened to her over the past few days.

"You have the look of a prospective employer!" a strange halfling called to her.

"What's your name, halfling?" Donnia asked of him.

"The name's Tomi Undergallows. I'm from Calimsham. And I'm a mighty fine rogue if I do say so myself. Though it is why I'm stuck in this blasted city in the first place. But that's a long story."

"Would you be willing to work for me, Tomi?" Donnia knew that the skills of a rogue would be very helpful in her quest. "I can't pay you too much, but I can pay you more later if you would agree to work with me."

Tomi seemed to consider the offer. "What's your mission, love?"

"Lady Aribeth is sending me to find some rather important items. I cannot tell you more, unless you agree to work with me."

"Sounds mysterious. What say you to paying me 150 gold coins now and we'll see about later when it gets 'ere?"

Donnia tossed the gold to him, "Let's get started."


	9. Fierce Attacks in the Caves

Chapter 8 – Fierce Attacks in the Caves

Nathyrra merely looked at Valen as Donnia's shadow faded with each step she took away from them.

Valen was speechless. What Donnia had said to him before she walked away was still ringing in his ears. What had caused him to say such things to her? It was obvious that something horrible had happened to her while she had been gone, something that she had not told neither him nor Nathyrra. Could he not see the strain, the worry, and yes, even a little bit of fear that had come to her eyes in the short amount of time the Valsharess had her? While he was still adjusting to the idea of having someone other than him in charge of defending the Seer and her other followers, what he had done to her, after everything she had trusted him with, was inexcusable. But there was that word again, trust. Already she seemed to have given him her implicit trust. He knew what she had told him the night before had not been easy, had not been something she had told to many other people, if any others at all. She had trusted him to listen while she told of the horrid event in her life. She had trusted him to protect her while she was lost in her own grief. Yet when it came down to it, he never seemed to have any of that trust to return to her. Not even after traveling with her for over two weeks' time. In that time he had come to almost enjoy her company. No, he never did talk to her much, but he was not a talkative person. He said what needed to be said and anything else that was not vital to discussion was left unsaid. But there was something else about her, other than her trust in both him and Nathyrra. There was something almost familiar about her, as though he had known her a long time ago. He doubted he could have ever forgotten someone like her. It was almost like he had dreamed of her, dreamed of knowing her, that knowing her and traveling with her was the most important thing he could do. If he did not then nothing would be the same. But now was not the time to philosophize on dreams.

He started at the sudden silence. He swore ripely under his breath and looked after Donnia, but even her shadow was gone. Without a word to Nathyrra he went after Donnia, going only on hope that it was not too late.

Nathyrra had never before seen Valen like this. It was true, she did not know him all that well, but she thought she knew him better than that. He had no excuse for the way he had treated Donnia just then. Even if he did not fully trust her, couldn't he see that there was nothing inside of her that would allow her to betray someone once she had given her word? With a quiet sigh, she ran to catch up.

Donnia heard his footsteps growing nearer, but did not turn to see him approaching. She was beginning to doubt that anything was going to give them an advantage if she could not convince even one person that she was not going to betray the Seer. Why was it that no one ever seemed trust her until she basically died for them? She had done nothing to in any way show that she meant harm to anyone in the Underdark, except of course for the Valsharess and her minions, especially not the Seer. She wondered if Valen knew how vital the Seer had been to her as well.

Her throat burned with emotions she did not recognize. She said nothing to him, but silently thanked him for staying several steps behind her. She did not want to face him now, and she was unsure if she could again. She had put almost every bit of trust she had in him and he had thrown it back at her before one day had passed. What was it about her that always left the opening for someone to hurt her so deeply and so quickly? She heard Nathyrra's much lighter steps come up next to her and quickly looked over at her as she came up beside her. As Nathyrra turned to meet Donnia's glance, Donnia quickly looked away.

_You were quick, but not quick enough_, Nathyrra thought to herself. She had seen the tears forming in Donnia's eyes.

The entrance to the beholder cave loomed in front of them. Without a break in her stride, Donnia walked right inside, directly into battle.

Three beholders, in all their ugliness, turned to the three intruders and quickly began their attack.

In all of her adventures, Donnia had never before seen a creature like what she was currently fighting. It seemed as though there were hundreds of eyes staring back at her, casting their magic, trying to paralyze them all.

With her emotions so near the surface, her attack was fierce, almost brutal. She plunged her sword to the hilt into one of the beholders before it had even the chance to react to their presence.

Nathyrra was busy trying to dispel the magic that the beholders were using against them. The remaining two beholders fell not long after the first.

Donnia paused only long enough to catch her breath before going deeper into the caves.

Room after room was filled with beholders, but with the three of them fighting, they all fell without much effort on the individual's part. Donnia never slowed her pace except during a fight. She honestly could not care if Valen or Nathyrra was there. If they could not trust her, why should they continue to travel with her? _Why don't they just go back to Lith My'athar so they can tell the Seer I'm not to be trusted_, Donnia bitterly thought to herself._ It's not as though I've done anything important thus far. And yet through everything we've already been through, with everything I've already shown to them, still I cannot earn even the smallest bit of trust. _Donnia's heart burned in her chest_. Even if they don't believe in what the Seer has envisioned, can't what I have shown them myself be enough? I don't want the Valsharess to gain anymore power just like the rest of the rebels, and yet, they won't trust me to help them._

Donnia observed hundreds of kobold slaves in the caves. She tried talking to one of them, but quickly saw that all of them had had their tongues cut out.

Despite their mounting victories, Donnia still spoke nothing to her companions. She was not sure what to say to people who would not trust her, even after having proven herself many times over.

At last they reached the room of the Eye Tyrant. It was at least five times the size of any beholder they had met thus far. While Nathyrra and Valen battled the other beholders, Donnia headed straight for the Eye Tyrant.

This battle was not going to be as easy as the others had been before. Donnia fought hard to keep the beams from striking her, to keep the Tyrant busy in its own defense to prevent it from moving to the offensive. However much she did not want them there, Donnia could tell the difference from fighting with them at her side than fighting without them nearby. Before she was able to block it a beam escaped from the Eye Tyrant and struck Donnia. The pain was immense, but so was the anger at being rooted to one place while things happened around her that she could not affect. _Why is it that everything seems so familiar?_ Donnia thought to herself. She tried vainly to move her body, to block some of the non-paralytic attacks from the Tyrant but the pain merely increased as she struggled against the strong energy that had her stuck in place. She became further injured before the effects wore off enough for her to raise her sword and fight back.

She was able to consume one of her healing potions before she became paralyzed again. By the time its effects had worn off, Valen and Nathyrra had destroyed the other beholders and were coming to her aid. Before they could reach her, though, she came out of her paralytic state and quickly drove her sword into the large eye that covered most of the body of the Eye Tyrant. It fell dead, its great eye blank and bloody.

Donnia removed her sword and quickly cleaned it so it would not degenerate.

While fighting the other beholders, Valen had watched her fighting the Eye Tyrant. He watched as she became paralyzed and injured. He watched as she bled from her wounds but still fought the great beholder. _She never gives up_, he thought to himself. _Even when it hurts her more, she keeps fighting._ Quickly he moved to talk to her before she could walk away from them again.

Still bleeding slightly from her wounds suffered from her attack on the Eye Tyrant, Donnia turned around to leave the caves and ran directly into Valen.

She said nothing, nor made no move to go around him. Instead she stared up at him with her glowing green eyes that seemed to peer into his soul.

Valen took a deep breath before speaking, "Donnia, do you have a moment?"

Donnia said nothing, but continued to stare at him with those entrancing eyes.

Valen took another deep breath and pressed on, "I owe you an apology, Donnia. Before you showed up I had myself convinced that you could not be trusted despite what the Seer saw. I just knew that you sought only fame and fortune and would care nothing for our plight here. I even probably resented you, a little. I had been in charge of keeping us safe, of keeping us alive for so long that I did not want someone completely new to the...issue coming in to take that from me." The whole time he had been speaking he had been watching Donnia's eyes for any sign of anything, but despite their depth, they remained blank but still rigidly fixed on his. "I don't know what happened between you and that Valsharess, what was said or done, but something scared you. I saw the fear in your eyes when you woke up."

As he mentioned what had happened with the Valsharess, Donnia relived those few minutes again. And again the fear came back in her eyes, fear that everything had been a dream, an hallucination brought on by death, or near-death, in that stone.

_What is it that scares you so, Donnia?_ Valen wondered as he pressed on. "Even seeing it then, recognizing it for what it was, I still doubted you. I can see now how foolish I have been. Everything you have done demands trust and respect for your actions. You gave your trust to me so quickly, so fully, allow me to do the same for you."

Nathyrra was watching the emotions play over their faces. Each was unaware that their faces showed so much. She had seen Valen's own self-anger, trepidation, and then hope pass over his features just as she had seen Donnia fighting not to reveal her own hurt and fear as Valen had been speaking to her. Nathyrra only hoped the fear was the fear Valen had been speaking of and not fear of the tiefling himself.

Donnia remained quiet for a few moments, planning out how she was going to say what she needed to say to him. Drawing her bright green eyes up to look him in his own blue ones, finding herself once again caught in their seemingly endless depths, she asked him, "Will you trust me with your life as I have trusted you with mine?"

Valen was relieved to hear her say that to him. He had been so certain that his actions had doomed them all to defeat. "I will. I am sorry that I did not see before what is now so obvious before my eyes."

"Alright then, let's continue." Donnia started to walk away, but Valen gripped her arm, stopping her. She turned back to him, wondering what more needed to be said.

He said nothing, but took her hand in his and placed it to his lips, once again unsure of what was guiding his motions, but following them nonetheless. "The deal is sealed. I will follow even into the depths of the hells. You shall not be alone when you next face the Valsharess or any other evil."

The feel of his warm lips pressed softly to her skin cause Donnia to shudder slightly. An unexpected rush of emotions swept through her as Valen raised his gaze to look her in the eye once more. Just like Valen, Donnia followed the motions, though unsure what was guiding them. She removed her hand from his and trailed her hand lightly over his cheek and slid a tendril of his hair that had fallen loose behind his ear. Her fingers lightly rested on his neck before her mind once again took over. She felt the blush creep up her cheeks and she stammered out something about needing to move on quickly before turning to exit the caves.

Nathyrra could barely stop her smile. Since first meeting her, the Seer had yet to be wrong.


	10. Hope Begins to Glimmer

Chapter 9 – Hope Begins to Glimmer

The wails of pain of the innocent mixed with the cries of victory of the guilty. There was no place to escape the sound of death. The Peninsula District was covered in prisoners tasting their freedom in all its violent glory. Few guards would stray far from the city center gate. No one could protect them if they went away from safety.  
  
No one was certain how the prisoners were able to escape. The head gaoler had never before allowed a single prisoner to leave their cell; an all-out prison break was definitely the cause for worry.  
  
Those who had not already died boarded up their houses, covering their windows and doors to help keep themselves alive. Yet the Wailing Death and the escaped prisoners still found ways around the defenses.  
  
The streets were full of prisoners attacking anything that moved, even other prisoners. Since they were fighting amongst themselves, Donnia's job was growing easier as time progressed, but more innocents would not last the night if she did not hurry.  
  
One of the larger prisoners had been carrying a key to the front gate of the prison. Donnia did not want to guess as to how he came by it.  
  
Hoping to escape the sounds from outside, Donnia and Tomi entered the prison. The street noises had stopped, but they were nothing compared to the noises echoing throughout the halls and empty cells of the prison itself.  
  
"What do you think happened?" Tomi asked as they walked up to a door that would lead further into the prison.  
  
"I'm afraid to ask. I have the strong feeling, though, that one of the Waterdavian Creatures is to blame." Donnia pushed open the door and met five prisoners who seemed to be just waiting for her.  
  
The one in the middle leered at her through grime that looked as old as the man himself, "Aren't you a pretty tall thing. Tell your halfling friend to wait outside and I'll show you what it's like to have a full grown man."  
  
The other prisoners seemed to like the idea and all joined in with bone-scraping laughter.  
  
Donnia was disgusted by the idea of even soiling her sword with their blood, but showed no outward signs of her revulsion. "You wouldn't know what to do with me even if I surrendered myself to you. But there is something I want from you more than anything else."  
  
"What's that, my pet?"  
  
"To rot in the hells with your friends here." With that, Donnia quickly plunged her sword into the man who she had spoken with. The others stupidly charged her with nothing more in their hands than the want to close around her neck.  
  
During their short conversation Tomi had snuck around to the rear of the group. When Donnia had begun her attack from the front, he charged in from the back.  
  
As the last ugly prisoner fell dead at their feet Tomi grinned at Donnia, "It seems as though we make a pretty good team. I wonder if the rest of them will be this stupid?"  
  
Donnia smiled grimly, "Let's find out."  
  
Luckily for them, they all were pretty dull. None of them had been able to find the weaponry store rooms, so most were unarmed. Those that were armed had not the proper training to defend themselves with their chosen weapon.  
  
At least that was how it went before they got to the dungeon level.  
  
When they reached the lowest level Donnia saw that yes, one of the Waterdavian Creatures was to blame for what had happened. The Intellect Devourer had implanted itself into the Head Gaoler, subsequently releasing all of the prisoners.  
  
Four prison guards remained alive in the dungeon, but only by appearance. They did not move, blink, nothing. Donnia tried talking to one, and it did not even turn to face her at the sound of her voice. She left them as they were and headed for the Head Gaoler.  
  
However, the body was only a shell; it had been hollowed out by the Intellect Devourer. Donnia and Tomi quickly attacked the gaoler, but only did damage to the body, not what was invading it.  
  
Once the body lay dead, Donnia got her first true look at it. It appeared to be nothing more than a brain with legs. It had no eyes, nor a face to put them on. It still attacked with vengeance. Donnia knew that she could not allow it to enter another body, giving it the chance to regenerate while she and Tomi attacked the body it was hiding in.  
  
It jumped from guard to guard, seeming to bring them to life, but only giving it chance enough to heal while she and Tomi were forced to kill the guard before he could kill them. Eventually Donnia and Tomi had killed all of the guards and had trapped the Devourer. Cornered, with no free body shell to enter, it was quickly killed.  
  
Donnia quickly grabbed the brain and used her Stone of Recall to return to Aribeth.  
  
In a blink she was back in the Hall of Justice with Tomi.  
  
"Donnia, are you okay? Do you need healing?" Aribeth ran over to them, hoping that they were uninjured.  
  
"Lady Aribeth, I bring you the first Waterdavian Creature." She handed her the brain. "Apparently this is what had caused the prison break in the Peninsula District. However, those prisoners that were not killed were put back into cells, and some of the guards are now keeping watch throughout the city to make sure all have been taken care of."  
  
Aribeth could hardly believe it. In such a short amount of time Donnia had quickly restored hope for Neverwinter's future. "Thank Tyr you were successful in this, Donnia. I will place this thing in safety at once. Here is 1000 gold for your victory. I cannot thank you enough what you have done. What we all feared was the approaching end; you gave us light and hope that things will turn out alright. Is there anything else you need?"  
  
Donnia looked at Tomi, he looked a little more haggard than he had before, a few injuries she had not seen earlier were bleeding slightly. Her own body was sore from the lengthy fight throughout the prison. Though the prisoners were easily killed, there were hundreds of them. "M'lady, if you could heal my companion and myself, we would go at once to look for the next creature."  
  
Aribeth nodded slowly and cast her healing spell granted by Tyr. "I wish you more success like this first one you have completed. But before you leave, I want you to know how much your doing this means to me. I would do this if Lord Nasher would allow it. However, I must stay here and help keep things under control." Her voice thickened, betraying hidden emotions. Donnia was unsure of what to say, what to do, but Lady Aribeth continued on despite whatever was bothering her. "Please know that what you do is everything. Thank you. And if you should ever have need of anything, please, do not hesitate to ask me. I will find a way that you should have all you deserve and more."  
  
_Right now, I just need a friend, someone, anyone. But that's not fair to Tomi. But you, Lady Aribeth, are something all together different._ "There is something that I require, but it must wait until another time. I will return with the second part of the cure for the plague."  
  
Lady Aribeth could do little more than nod as Donnia and Tomi left. _You don't even realize how important you are. Anyone else would have immediately asked for more money. You truly are something amazing, Lady Donnia. May Tyr protect you and your companion on this journey. _  
  
As Donnia left the Hall of Justice she heard Aribeth telling Fenthick and Desther of her success in locating the first of the Waterdavian Creatures. Fenthick rejoiced much in the way Aribeth had. Desther just started in again on the lack of morals, honor, and virtue of their apparent 'savior'.  
  
"Donnia, do you have a moment?" Tomi asked as they headed for Beggar's Nest.  
  
"Yes, Tomi?"  
  
"I heard the amount of gold that Aribeth gave you. Don't you think you should buy some better armor? What you are wearing would be fine, but I fear that it's only going to get worse from here on out. I don't want to see you hurt when you could be kept safe."  
  
"Okay then. I know just where to go." Donnia led Tomi to her old place of business.  
  
She walked in expecting to feel different, but nothing had changed. She was the only difference. Some of the armor on display was new, as were some of the weapons, but the heat and smell were ever the same.  
  
"Can't you see the sign on the door?" a booming voice called out from the back of the shop. "We're closed! Get on out of here before I call the guards!"  
  
Donnia could hardly suppress a laugh. Grot'yah was ever the same burly old man as he ever was. "I am the city guard!" she called back.  
  
"No matter. Closed is closed. I wouldn't serve you now even if you were Lord Nasher himself!" With that final shout he came around the corner and saw who he had been about to kick out of his shop. "Donnia? Is it truly you?"  
  
Donnia's grin only widened. "Honestly and truly. But I'm not here for a visit. I'm a paying customer. I need some new armor."  
  
Grot'yah looked at her, "Aye, you do, my girl. I think I know just what you need." He led her to the back of the shop. "I just finished this not long ago. I made it with you in mind." He held up a bright silver breastplate and accompanying gear. Its surface was smooth with no imperfections.  
  
She gingerly reached her hand out to touch it. It was cool to the touch but it felt very strong. "It's beautiful. I've never seen such armor."  
  
Grot'yah grinned. "It's yours, my dear."  
  
Donnia had never longed for something material in the way she yearned to own that armor. "How much gold?"  
  
Grot'yah appeared to be insulted. "First thing out of your mouth when you see this is how much it costs? Silly girl. I'll tell you what. It's yours, the whole of the armor set, for 200 gold."  
  
Donnia looked at him in shock. "200 gold?!? Are you serious? You'll be out of business before I'm halfway out the door!"  
  
"It's yours, Donnia. No one else could wear this as I knew you would when I made it. Now hurry up and put it on, I can't wait to see you wearing it."  
  
She looked from Grot'yah back to the armor, indecision on her face. She needed to protect herself more than she needed to protect his profits. Donnia quickly handed him the gold and took the armor. She disappeared around the wall and came out after not much time had passed wearing her new armor. She could not stop smiling. The armor fit her almost too perfectly. It did not feel heavy on her, but seemed to way no more than her cotton clothes she wore as a girl.  
  
"I don't know how to thank you." Donnia gave him a brief hug and left the shop.  
  
Tomi looked at her new armor, "I suppose that will do in a pinch."  
  
Donnia looked down at him, trying to smile, but her heart still felt battered despite her first victory. "I'm so glad you approve." She reached in her pack for the gold coin. Three pictures of strange creatures still stared up at her. True, she had one success, but there was still so much to be done. She traced over the pictures with her thumb and sighed. She placed it back in her pack. "Where do you think we should go next?"  
  
"I'll follow your lead, Donnia. Wherever you think we should go next I'll be right beside you."  
  
Donnia looked at him with surprise. "Okay then. Let's head for Beggar's Nest."


	11. Strong People, Strong Emotions

Chapter 10 – Strong People, Stronger Emotions

Donnia sat alone eating the last bit of food in her pack. She knew that neither Nathyrra nor Valen had much more left themselves. No one was speaking. No one really knew what to say. Each sat separated from the others with their own thoughts.

Donnia was thinking of how she got started in her life as a fabled adventurer. Since her victories in Neverwinter and Undrentide, people had begun writing stories of her life and her adventures that were far from being true, but made the bards some money. Most of the tales were not bad, but Donnia hated being confronted with questions based on those false travels.

She never understood why so many people wanted to know about her life. There were so many other people in the world that had done so much more than she had who better deserved the attention that was given to her.

She had been wondering this same thought since she had found the fourth Waterdavian Creature so many years ago. What truly saddened her was that she did not really know how long ago it had been. She had lost all clues as to how old she was, how long it had been since seeing her father, how many years had passed before she cried for her mother.

Since she never got any farther with that line of thinking she tried thinking of something else. She was exhausted from the day. Her weariness had nothing to do with the beholders. Never before had she been through so many emotions in one day. What made it all the worse was that she did not understand what all of them were.

That morning she had awoken happy for the first time for as long as she could remember. Her dreams did not haunt her in sleep or in her waking. As the day continued she had been hurt deeply by the way Valen had regarded her after coming back from the Valsharess. She did not know that anyone had the capability of hurting her that strongly anymore. Her emotions wore an armor that was second in strength only to that she wore on her body. "When did a person get the power to hurt me so?" she wondered to herself.

Much of the time she had spent in the beholder caves was blank to her now, wiped out from her pain. The entire time it felt as though someone were standing on her heart and would not let up. She was glad that Valen spoke to her when he did for she did not if she would have been able to go on much longer with that pain in her chest.

Nathyrra sat by watching the other two. They did not know what was going on between them, but she could see it. The Seer had told her such would happen. Nathyrra smiled as she silently congratulated the Seer on yet another perfect prediction of events.

She did know that Valen had been in love once. The memory of his story from earlier in their adventure still wore on her heart. He had been captured by one of the devils while he had been fighting in the Blood Wars. He had been deeply in love with a most wonderful woman who had seen past his outer appearance and taint to the truly good person he was. The devil did not just torture his body, but tortured his soul. With Valen tightly bound to prevent him from escaping, the devil brought in his love and killed her in front of him. After that, Valen said he remembered little. His mind shut off while his body lashed out at everything. Nathyrra was there the day he had found the Seer.

He had walked in, stumbled was more like it, bleeding and near death. He had not stopped fighting in a war though he was far from the battlefields. He had allowed his taint to overrun his body, but the Seer had seen past all of that. She had taken him in and slowly revealed him back to his humanity. Seeing the person he was then and seeing who he was sitting before her he barely appeared to be the same man.

Valen too sat by with his thoughts. Though he had apologized to Donnia he felt that nothing he could say would make what he had done better. The night before when he had held her meant so much to him. He had seen then how she had trusted him with everything at that point. Yet when she would have needed his support more than ever he turned his back on her and cast her aside as a traitor.

He looked up at her, sitting across the fir from him staring off into the darkness. "She doesn't realize the power she holds," he though to himself. Even just sitting there she was something to behold. Her long legs were stretched out, warming near the fire. Her hands idly toyed with the ends of her long red hair. She reached back and untied the bit of rope that held her hair out of her face and let it fall.

He watched her for several minutes before she caught him staring at her.

For what seemed an eternity she just looked at him with her powerful eyes. Even from such a distance he could see their bright pools of color with him in their sight. The longer they stared at one another the more it felt as though she were examining his very essence of being. As uncomfortable as it may have felt, neither one could look away.

Nathyrra was enjoying watching them figure it out. She also knew that her presence would be a hindrance. "I'm going to stretch my legs a bit, they're a bit crampish. I won't be gone long. Do not worry for me."

Neither Donnia nor Valen spoke. Nathyrra could not stop smiling as she walked away from them.

Minutes passed and still neither of them said a word. Their eyes said enough for their mouths.

When Donnia had first looked up at him she had felt him watching her for several minutes but could not bring herself to look at him. She wanted to know exactly what he could and could not see when he looked into her eyes.

Valen saw through all of her defenses. He saw the pain still there from the night before when she at last cried for her mother. He saw her memories still battling behind her eyes from her many adventures. He saw the pain he had put there himself and felt some of the pain she had felt earlier that day.

Valen stood up without looking away from her eyes. He did not think he could even if he tried. He walked around the fire and came to a stop by her side. He knelt down beside her and carefully wiped away the tear that had just fallen. "Please don't cry anymore. It breaks my heart when you do."

At such close distance he could feel himself being pulled in by her eyes. If he knew nothing else about her, he could see everything if he could just look into her eyes. "It hurts even more knowing that those tears are my fault."

Donnia did not know what to say to him. She had never before felt like this. She wanted to look away from his gaze, but felt herself being pulled in by it. The warmth from the fire was reflected in his bright blue eyes staring back at her. The flames only added to the power they exuded.

Valen pushed her hair back with a gentle hand and brought her lips to his. The warmth seemed to spread throughout all of his body at the meeting of their lips. The meeting was brief but still powerful, leaving a hint of more.

"Valen, I..." But that was all she could say before he kissed her again. Her mind had been racing before, but now no thought would come. The only thing in her mind was feeling.

Valen had not planned on this, but he was not going to stop it now; he did not think he could, he did not have the power to. Her hair was soft in his hands as he ran his fingers through it. He heard her sigh as it passed from her to him through their lips.

Valen slowly broke their contact and opened his eyes. Her tears had dried and her eyes showed no more pain. He said nothing, but his eyes said much.

Donnia smiled at him, her eyes saying the same thing, but both were afraid to speak it aloud. She took his hand in hers and laid her head against his shoulder.

Valen sat back, following her lead, and wrapped a protective arm around her as she fell asleep, finally allowing him to have first watch. _How did you come to be so important in such a short time? And you're not just important to the rebels of Lith My'athar any longer. You're vital to me. I feel more in control with you at my side than ever before._ Valen wished he could speak these thoughts aloud to Donnia, but was afraid that the intensity would frighten her. Until then, he was content to know that the humanity she coaxed out of him without him realizing it was enough for a moment like this, with her in his arms, the sound of her deep breathing from sleep the only sound to fall on his ears.

This ground was not something entirely new to him. He had been in love before. He had been with women before. That was the past, and this was now. Even when he became unsure of the next step, Donnia was there giving him the confidence to trust in his emotions, to follow through on what he wished to do; like he was doing just then, cradling her in his arms, protecting her from the night.

Again he felt unsure of whether his actions were right, but decided to move on what he felt instead of doubting himself. He lightly pressed his lips to the top of her head and whispered, "Sleep well, my Lady Donnia. I will protect you while you dream."

Later that night Donnia awoke for her turn to keep watch over the other two. Valen still held her in his arms, guarding her in her sleep. Valen glanced down at her when he felt her stirring. Once again she felt herself being pulled by the depth of his eyes. Like him, she could almost read his thoughts from the expressions of his eyes. She knew that part of him was a demon-spawn, she knew that he had to fight his taint nearly every moment of every day. She knew what it was like to have to fight yourself, to fight something growing inside yourself.

"Valen, are you planning on going directly to sleep?" she asked him.

"I was, but not if you require something of me, my lady."

"It's not a requirement that I have of you, just curiosity on my own part. I want to know what it's like, fighting your taint. What is it like for you? How do you deal with it?"

If Valen was shocked by her question, outwardly it did not show. "I don't know that I can put it into words." He sat there, thinking of how to describe to her how his entire being was overtaken by his taint. "It's as though there is another part of me, another person inside of me. When I fight it I have to fight it with all that I am. It's just as strong, if not stronger than I am. Every time I fight it I can feel the battle going on; one side screaming at the other.

"Haunted" – Evanescence

"It's like 'long lost words whisper slowly to me', calling me, beckoning to me. I 'still can't find what keeps me' there. 'All this time I've been so hollow inside' but I know it's 'still there, watching me, wanting me, I can feel' it 'pull me down'." Valen looked away from Donnia, getting lost in his thoughts, his memories of old battles within himself. He continued on as though alone, speaking only to himself, "'Fearing you, loving you'. No! 'I won't let you pull me down'. But that's not the end."

Something in his eyes changed. The blue tint became dull, lifeless. Slowly the tint came back, but as a searing red. Fear began to slowly creep up on her. The voice that came from his mouth was Valen's, but had none of his life behind it, "'Hunting you, I can smell you, alive, your heart pounding in my head'."

Valen vigorously shook his head. The red slowly melted from his eyes, returning them to the cerulean depths Donnia was looking for, waiting for, hoping for.

"No!" he repeated again. Yet again, he was lost in his battle, unaware of Donnia's presence beside him, though he knew that he felt stronger, felt more able to fight his taint back. "You're 'watching me, wanting me. I won't let you pull me down'.

Slowly Valen turned to face Donnia. He read the emotions on her face. Saw the fear, but also felt her strength. He understood how he was able to fight it off, how he was able to be stronger. "'Saving me, raping me, watching me,' always watching me."

Donnia reached out to take his hand in hers. "I'm here. I won't let it take you away again." She echoed back his words that he spoke to her earlier in the beholder caves, "I will stand by your side when you have to face your next evil, even into the depths of the hells. No longer will you have to fight alone." She placed a soft kiss on his lips. "It's time for me to keep watch. I will keep you safe as you dream."


	12. Hope Begins to Fade

Chapter 11 – Hope Begins to Fade

Donnia quickly grabbed the Stone of Recall, the Bloodsailors were vicious, and she had not much strength left in her. She had teleported back to Aribeth several times; after being healed she would quickly return to where she had just left to fall back into the battle she had just left.

With one last thrust, the Bloodsailor stabbed her quickly in her side. Donnia appeared in the Hall of Justice, falling to her knees.

Aribeth had been tending to one of the patients when she heard Donnia's armor clank on the stone floor. She hurried over to her side, kneeling next to Tomi who was also bent over her. "Donnia, my lady, are you okay?"

Donnia gingerly laid her hand over the fresh wound and slowly nodded her head.

Without delay, Aribeth healed her. A soft glow encompassed both Donnia and Tomi, healing their wounds, easing their pain. Donnia slowly moved to her feet, moving toward the return portal when Aribeth lightly took hold of her arm. "Donnia, you must rest. I can heal time and time again, but if you do not rest, my healing you will not stop the pain."

"But Lady Aribeth, I have to get back. I can't let the people of Neverwinter suffer anymore than they already have. I don't have time to rest." She moved toward the return portal again but Aribeth stood in her way.

"Please, do not make me order you to bed. Just take a few hours to sleep and catch your breath."

Indecision played across Donnia's face. She knew that people were dying. She had already recovered three of the reagents. The cockatrice was somewhere in the Docks, she just knew it. She also knew that she was getting close. It was just those damned Bloodsailors. They were not only strong, but they were also extremely well trained.

Donnia looked down at Tomi, seeing for the first time his haggard appearance. Usually full of spunk and vitality, his shoulders drooped a little, his eyes were downcast.

She looked around the room at all of the patients lain out on cots. Nurses moved from one to another, trying to make their passing as painless as possible.

Slowly, Donnia turned her attention back to Aribeth, worry evident on her friend's face. She nodded, agreeing to a few hours rest.

Aribeth smiled warmly. "Come with me, I'll set you both up in rooms to rest." She turned and led the two weary adventurers deeper into the Hall of Justice.

They remained silent on their walk to their rooms. Each was lost in their thoughts, worries, and weariness.

Aribeth led Tomi to his room first. He bowed to her before turning into his room, pulling the door shut behind him. Aribeth continued further down the hall to take Donnia to her room. She stood next to the doorway, opening it wide for the drained Donnia.

Donnia walked past her into the room when Aribeth once again stopped her, "I know I wanted you to rest for a few hours, but I was hoping we could talk for a few minutes before you rested. Would it be alright with you if I spoke with you?"

Donnia slowly nodded her head in agreement, "Just let me take off my armor and wash up."

Aribeth nodded and pulled the door shut behind her as she went to wait in the hallway.

Dressed in her fresh clothes Donnia opened the door for Aribeth. "What was it that you wished to discuss?"

Aribeth came in and sat on a high-backed chair next to the bed, gesturing for Donnia to sit as well. "What happened after you left the Academy? When you came back those few days later, something had happened to you. I could tell. Would you like to talk to me about it?"

Donnia closed her eyes, remembering her last visit in her home. "My father died of the plague while I was gone to the Academy."

Aribeth reached out, taking Donnia's hand in hers, "Donnia, I am so sorry."

"No, it's okay. Really, it is. I'm fine. Was there anything else you wished to discuss?"

"Actually there was. In these weeks you've been searching for the reagents we've grown to know each other. I have come to think of you as a dear friend."

"It's always nice coming back to you, coming back here, coming back to someone who isn't trying to kill me," Donnia smiled grimly.

Aribeth smiled in return, "Every time you come back I say a word of thanks to Tyr. Every time you leave I say a prayer. So far my prayers have been answered. You've come back to me in one piece every time. Though you are hurt, tired, and worn down, I can still see that spark burning deep within you. It's that spark that keeps me going."

"It's what keeps me going as well, Lady Aribeth."

"There is just something about you. I don't know what it is. I feel as though there is something between us, something larger than the both of us."

"I feel it as well. I haven't told Tomi half of what I've spoken to you about. He's wonderful as a partner, but you are different." Donnia paused, trying to focus her thoughts. "Every time I go back it's as though a wave of raw emotion, something wild and uncontrollable overtakes me. The despair I feel walking around this once beautiful city is almost enough to bring me down with it. There's so much suffering. I know that I am doing all that I can to help this, to make it better, to make it go away. It never seems enough. No matter what I do, it never seems enough. I'm letting them down. I've been working on finding the reagents for weeks, and I still haven't found all of them. It's my fault that so many more have died. It's my fault my father died. It's my fault my mother died." A silent tear moved down her cheek as she remembered her mother.

Donnia quickly wiped over her cheek, destroying the tear.

Aribeth leaned forward to take Donnia's hand again, but she pulled it away.

"No, I don't want you sympathy. I just need your help."

"Lady Donnia, you have my help. You have the help of all that I control and anything more I can find. But there is something that I ask of you in return."

"I will do anything you ask."

Aribeth smiled warmly, "Would you stand beside me on my wedding day?" Aribeth hurried on, "I know we have only known each other for a short time, but it would mean everything to me if you were to be there beside me when Fenthick and I are married."

Donnia pushed away all thoughts of herself, and thought only of her friend. "I would be honored to be there beside you on your wedding day."

Aribeth smiled still, pushing away all thoughts of despair, and took Donnia in her arms, hugging her.

For once the tears shed were not tears of sadness, but tears of joy, of hope that things would return to normal.

Donnia looked down at the gold coin in her hand. The last picture was fading. Upon seeing the coin blank, she at last breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time since leaving the Academy she smiled. "Tomi, we did it. The Wailing Death will be beaten."

Tomi grinned up at her, "Aye, we did, love. Best of all, we're alive to tell the tale too."

"Thanks to Aribeth and that stone she gave us. But we must hurry back and give these feathers to Aribeth. I don't know how much longer the city can survive."

Donnia pulled out the Stone of Recall and was quickly returned to the Hall of Justice where Aribeth met them with a smile.

"How are you coming along with that last creature? Have you found it yet?" Aribeth knew that they could not be far from their goal. With the three other necessary parts from the other creatures being kept safe, the fourth would allow them to form the cure.

"Aribeth, I give you the last of the Waterdavian Creatures, feathers from the bird found in the Docks."

Aribeth nearly wept for joy upon hearing those words. "Donnia, you have done so much for this city in such short time. We will forever be in your debt. I do not know how to thank you for all that you have done for us. I fear that without you all hope would have been lost."

"Thank you, Lady Aribeth. Will you be able to make the cure now?"

"Yes, we will get started on it right away. Of course, you and Tomi are more than welcome to attend. Lord Nasher would want to speak with you." Turning, Aribeth led them into a room Donnia had never before seen in the Hall of Justice.

There were several priests gathered around a central holding fountain. It contained, among a few other things, the parts of the three other creatures. Aribeth placed the final ingredients in and pointed Donnia to Lord Nasher.

Donnia walked before him and bowed. Lord Nasher laughed, "Stand up straight, girl. It is I who should be bowing to you. You have saved us all. I fear that even I have fallen victim to this plague. Now, with your capturing the Waterdavian Creatures, no more people will die from this horrid plague. We can start rebuilding this city to its former glory."

Donnia stood in shock before Lord Nasher. This was the first time she had seen him in person, but the descriptions she had previously heard were not far off. Despite his age, he still looked as ever the young, strong adventurer from all of the stories. Not only that, she could hardly believe that someone such as he could ever fall victim to this plague. She had hoped that it had kept out of the city center, but finding out that even Lord Nasher had it frightened her to think that perhaps she had caught it in her travels throughout the city.

Lord Nasher saw her thoughts projected by the worried look on her face. "Do not worry, Donnia Thensbane, if you had caught the plague, you would know it. Thankfully you were able to remain healthy throughout this past month."

"Has it really been only a month? It has felt like years."

Lord Nasher smiled, "Yes, only a month has passed since you left the Academy. I know it must have seemed like lifetimes."

"It did, Lord Nasher. It seemed as though the nearer I came to finding one of the creatures, the longer it took to get to them. Now knowing this, I wish I would have hurried more. I can't believe that I have made these people wait for a full month."

"Don't worry so, Donnia. We're too pleased that you succeeded at all. When the Waterdavian Creatures first escaped we feared that all was lost. You gave us hope each time you returned to the Hall of Justice, whether or not you had one of the creatures in your possession. Just seeing you alive and knowing that you grew closer to your quarry each day was enough to hold us over. Now, enough talk of the past. Let's get this cure made and my people healed."

Donnia and Tomi made sure they were positioned out of the way. Desther stood among some of his Helmites as they began casting. Quickly, all could tell that it was working. The fountain seemed to glow with power and hope for the future.

Fenthick stood by Aribeth, their hands joined together in prayer that this would be enough to heal all those that had been infected with the Wailing Death.

As the priests' casting quieted, Fenthick proudly proclaimed, "We have it! The cure for the Wailing Death has been made."

Desther walked to the fountain, "You're half right, Fenthick. I have it."

"You can't be serious! After all of this time, you can say that?" Fenthick exclaimed in fear of what was about to happen.

"I can say it, and I can go even better. I'm taking this plague and your people can rot in the hells where they belong." Desther grabbed the cure out of the fountain and quickly opened a portal.

Donnia stood in shock at what had just happened. All of the hope that she had been able to afford herself vanished leaving her hollow and cold inside. She was not able to linger on this feeling for long, for all of the priests who had helped in forming the cure turned and began attacking everyone in the room, even Lord Nasher himself.

Fenthick knew what he had to do. It was him who had put so much faith in Desther and his priests to help with the cure. He had believed in him all of this time. He had even defended him when others said that bringing in and outsider was dangerous. Before anyone could stop him, Fenthick jumped into the portal and followed Desther.

Aribeth called out to Donnia, "You must hurry! Follow them! I can only hold this portal open a little longer before everything is lost. Do no worry for us. Please, go quickly!"

Donnia looked quickly at Tomi before she nodded and both of them jumped into the portal, not knowing where they were headed.


	13. The Battle is Won

Chapter 12 – The Battle is Won

When Donnia awoke she decided there was no time left to persuade the illithid to stop in their support of the Valsharess. "We should head back. We've been gone longer than I had initially planned. I do not want anyone to worry. I need an update on the movements of her army. If there's time we can come back."

Neither Valen nor Nathyrra could argue with her. The three of them packed up and started back for Lith My'athar.

The city gates were crowded with soldiers on their lookout. When they saw Donnia, Nathyrra, and Valen approaching they quickly ordered the gates opened and the three of them walked inside.

One of the gate guards ran over to them. "Donnia, thank goodness you have returned. The Valsharess's forces are moving against us as we speak. The Seer had hoped you would return soon. Were you able to stop the support of those who had said they would fight along the Valsharess?"

Donnia replied, "Some. We were unable to reach the illithid. All others were defeated."

"That will be more than helpful. Some of the golems have arrived and are with the Seer as well as here between the gates should they be breached. Do you have any other instructions?"

Donnia sighed. This was not her first war, and somehow she knew it would not be her last. "Put as many people as you can between the gates so that if the outer ones are breached, they can be stopped before gaining access into the city. Do be sure that the Seer is protected."

The guard quickly ran to tell the others of her orders. Before Donnia had the chance to speak with her companions a Balor Lord suddenly appeared between the gates. Within an instant he was surrounded by the city's soldiers. Despite his large size, he was quickly defeated. Just as he fell, another appeared.

"So it begins," Valen said as he charged the lord.

It seemed that for every one they killed, another quickly took its place. Before long, over seven Balor Lords had been defeated. Donnia had no more than consumed a healing potion and sought out to find her companions before the outer gate burst open with charging duergar.

Donnia rushed into battle knowing that she would not be alone in this fight as she had with so many others.

She fought her way through the duergar, forcing her way out of the gates. She knew that if she could find and defeat the one in head of each of the groups of duergar, they would be quickly defeated without them.

A Drow sorcerer stood in a protective circle of duergar. Donnia could hear other soldiers from the city coming to her aid. Without pausing she forced her way through the circle and immediately started battle with the Drow.

Nathyrra saw Donnia heading for the sorcerer and quickly rushed to help by dispelling any magic the sorcerer would cast.

Just as she struck him a fatal blow someone shouted that some Drow had found a way to cross the river and were headed straight for the Seer.

Looking about the battlefield before her, Donnia found Valen and Nathyrra quickly rushing to the gates. She ran for them, hoping they would not be too late.

Donnia ran to the Seer. The duergar had quickly surrendered when their leaders had fallen. The Drow crossing the river had met an opposing force they had not been expecting. Despite their planned advantage, they were quickly pushed into the river and drowned in its raging currents. Those that had strayed from the riverside were killed before getting near the Seer.

The golems, with their promise of help, were able to stop the illithid before gaining entry into the courtyard. There were fatalities but there was also a much needed victory. However, this was not the end of the war.

The Seer greeted Donnia, Nathyrra, and Valen with grateful appreciation. "I knew that you would help us to victory, but it is not over yet. Though her minions have been defeated, the Valsharess still lives. We must kill her before she finds help elsewhere."

The Seer quickly healed them all before they left for the Valsharess's strong hold

The dark stone walls seemed to reach up endlessly above them. Hundreds of soldiers from Lith My'athar stood ready for battle.

Donnia stood with Valen and Nathyrra. They had faced great evils before, and they were about to face another.

The Seer turned to Donnia to speak to her of what must be done, but was thrown back by a powerful magic force. Donnia was quickly engulfed in a magical portal, disappearing before everyone's eyes.

"No! She cannot be gone! Without her all hope is gone!" the Seer cried.

Nathyrra looked at Valen and knew what he was planning to do.

Donnia was once again inside the Valsharess's ceremony room. Mephistopheles stood in much the same way he had before. The Red Sisters still formed their magical circle of power.

The Valsharess turned to Donnia, "You think you are victorious, surfacer?"

Donnia had to pull back her want to charge this woman before her, knowing she would only injure herself, "No. There is not victory until your blood falls from my sword."

The Valsharess seemed only disgusted by this. "No matter. Mephistopheles, I command you to kill her in a slow, painful death that she will suffer from for all eternity."

Mephistopheles spoke for the first time, "I cannot do that, great Valsharess, but I will kill your Red Sisters as you please."

Just as he finished speaking each Red Sister fell to the ground, writhing, screaming out in pain.

The Valsharess screamed at him, "What are you doing?!? I have bound you to do my bidding!"

"That you have not done. I cannot kill someone to whom I am so strongly connected."

Donnia stood still, shock prevented her from moving.

"Your end is here Valsharess. If I were you, I would welcome it." Donnia could feel the instant the binding circle around her was dropped. She quickly charged the Valsharess. In her shock, she failed to defend herself.

Donnia stabbed her once in the chest and whispered in the Valsharess's ear, "Enjoy your death, for it will be the last merciful thing I grant you." She pulled her sword from her chest and cut off the Valsharess's head.

Mephistopheles grinned down at her. "I knew you would come eventually, but I do not wish to have my fate sealed at this time." Donnia once again felt the boundaries of her binding circle in place.

"I saw the look that passed across your face when I mentioned a connection to you. The Relic of the Reaper that you have carried since leaving that strange plane is what binds us together. It is formed from my own skin. I cannot harm you while you posses it, so let's take care of that piece of business now." He reached down and removed the relic from Donnia's belt, where it had hung since she found it all that time ago.

"I figure I can tell you my plans for this world since shortly you will be powerless to stop them. I will rule all of the hells. I have been planning this for some time. However, the ninth hell is currently the most powerful. The only way to be granted full power is to either defeat the one in charge of the most powerful hell, or to make another. This world will be my tenth hell, and I will rule everything in this multiverse while you freeze in Cania.

"The only way to get you there, however, is for you to die."

Fear welled up inside Donnia as Mephistopheles walked from his once place of captivity.

"Do travel warmly, Donnia, for Cania is quite cold." With that, he took the sword from Donnia's hand and plunged it into her chest.

Mephistopheles grinned down at her corpse and walked to the front gates of the once-Valsharess's fortress.

Valen and Nathyrra had been able to breach the door and were now vainly looking for Donnia. Valen's heart was shrouded in grief at the endless possibilities that had occurred while he had been unable to reach Donnia. He did not want to think of what had happened while he had been unable to protect her as he had vowed to do with his life.

Nathyrra could not even begin imagining how Valen must have felt. True, she had grown close to Donnia while they had traveled together, but she did not have the feelings for her as Valen did.

They turned one last corner before meeting Mephistopheles. Valen knew then that Donnia was dead. Before he was able to move to attack him, Mephistopheles killed him and Nathyrra with only a look.

Outside, the Seer felt the passing of the three who had tried to save them all. She wept openly for them and quickly ordered her people back to Lith My'athar. If they were lucky, they would die quickly and painlessly. She feared for the world, for no one was left that could stop the power that had killed them inside that fortress.

The Seer said a silent prayer to Elistraee that her friends would be kept safe in their deaths.


	14. The Cure is Restored, but at What Price?

Chapter 13 – The Cure is Restored, but at What Price?

The town was deserted. No one was around, not even members of Desther's cult. However, there was a cave nearby. It remained the only place that Donnia and Tomi had not fully explored.

"Do you really think they're in there?" Tomi asked as they approached the cave.

"It's all that's left. They have to be in there, or they're too far gone for us to find and all hope would be lost."

They cautiously entered the cave and found that it wasn't a cave at all, but merely a false front to a temple for the Helmites, Desther's cult.

The two entered as quietly as they could, but their presence did not go undetected. Undead people from the town outside had been summoned to do Desther's bidding. What Donnia had feared had become true; the town was not deserted by choice, but by death.

The undead were easily defeated, and Donnia and Tomi went farther into the temple. They had not gone very far when she found someone she had prayed would not be there.

"Fenthick, what happened?" Donnia asked the cleric.

"I defended him to people who doubted him. I said that his help would be invaluable. This is entirely my fault."

"Fenthick, where's Desther? Does he still have the cure?" Donnia prayed that he had not destroyed it in his rage.

"He's just up ahead in another room. What should I do?" Fenthick, for the first time, looked lost and afraid.

Donnia feared for him, for the people would not understand what he had tried to do. "Go back to Neverwinter. Lady Aribeth is waiting for you."

"What of Desther?" Fenthick still looked worried for his once-companion.

"I will take care of him and return him to Neverwinter for judgment. You must return and tell everyone what has happened. Please hurry. Tell them that hope still remains."

Fenthick acknowledged this and quickly ran out of the room, headed for Neverwinter.

Donnia prayed that he would be forgiven and that the people would not go against him for once supporting Desther.

They continued deeper into the temple before they reached a door that obviously was holding back great magic. "He must be in there," Donnia told Tomi.

"Let's get him," Tomi replied. Even for someone who did not always respect other people, he knew that his companion would not lead him into unwarranted danger. He knew he would be safe with her.

Donnia tried to open the door, but it was locked. Tomi tried all of his tricks, but could not open the door. Donnia knew that Desther knew they were there. All need for stealth was gone. With two carefully placed kicks, the door burst open and the two charged inside.

"You head for Desther, these zombies are mine," Tomi called to Donnia. Without another word, he was surrounded by undead, but there numbers were quickly falling.

Donnia headed straight for Desther, who was surrounded by more of his priests. She tried to enter the circle they had cast, but found she could not. The priests were in a trance so their deaths were quick and easy.

"Desther, you must pay for what you have done to the city. If you return now, I will not kill you, but leave your judgment to the people of Neverwinter and Lord Nasher," Donnia told him. She did not want to fight him. She knew that if she were to defeat him that he would, in essence, get off without paying for what he had done. She wanted him to face the people he had betrayed.

"I will do no such thing. If you want me to return to Neverwinter, you'll have to take my dead corpse." Immediately he began to cast his most powerful spells.

Tomi had defeated the zombies and was coming to her aid. He snuck in behind Desther's line of vision and was able to break his concentration long enough for Donnia to remove a small dagger from her pack and stab Desther in the shoulder. "Stop now, and I'll let you live," Donnia told him as she slowly turned the blade inside his flesh.

"You couldn't kill me. You're conscience won't let you," he sneered at Donnia.

"Think again." In a flash, Donnia had removed the dagger from his shoulder and held it to his tightly to his neck. "If you even breathe, this dagger will cut your flesh and spill your blood. I could walk away from this smiling, knowing your blood was drying on my weapon. Surrender to me now, and I will return you to Neverwinter where you'll wish I would have killed you when I had the chance."

Desther's breath was coming in short rasps. He could feel the blade, warm and wet from his own blood pressing against his neck. He tried to think of a spell that he could cast quickly and get her weapon away from his neck, but none would come to mind. Dejected, Desther conceded. "You win. I will return with you to Neverwinter."

Donnia's blade did not move from its lethal position. "And what of the cure?"

Sweat trickled down his face and the blade nicked his neck ever so lightly. "It will be returned to its rightful place in the Hall of Justice."

Despite the blood running from Desther's neck, Donnia did not move her blade. "Open a portal now and take us all back to Neverwinter. This blade will not leave your neck until your judgment has been passed."

Desther quickly opened a portal back to the Hall of Justice.

Lord Nasher came up to them. "Does he still carry the cure? Will it still work?"

Donnia looked to him, "Yes, the cure is here. What shall we do with him?"

"Burn him alive. Let him suffer as he has forced this city to suffer."

Donnia led Desther to city center where his pyre had already been built. As he was bound to the stake she whispered in his ear, "May whatever god you pray to look down on you in mercy, for no one else will."

The pyre was lit, the smell of burning flesh floated into the air, but the riots did not cease. During her search for the Waterdavian Creatures, rumors had spread of a cure, and many people were able to find out what had happened. Desther's death was not enough for them. They wanted more payment for what had happened.

When at last the fire burned down, the crowd still cried out for revenge. There was only one other person remaining who had supported Desther. The mob called out for Fenthick.

Donnia could not understand how they would want him to pay. He had no debt to the city. He had returned willingly. How could they be doing this?

The crowd called out louder, gaining belief in their ignorant pleas.

Donnia looked to Fenthick standing next to Lady Aribeth. There was slight panic in his eyes. He too did not understand what more the people could want. The man who was responsible was dead. _But you believed in him when everyone else knew he was not what the city needed. It's your fault they believed in an outsider in the first place._

Lady Aribeth looked out at the city she fought for with all of the strength, the city she had promised to fight until her death. _How can they want my Fenthick for a crime he did not commit? This is all wrong! He did nothing wrong!_ She looked to Lord Nasher hoping to find the same look of disbelief on his face. Instead she found acceptance, unerring, unwavering acceptance.

Slowly, acceptance washed over Fenthick's own features. He knew that the people would not cease in their lust for blood until his flowed freely from his body. He turned to Aribeth, a look of horror plastered to her face. He took her hand and began to softly whisper in her ear, My Last Breath – Evanescence "'Hold on to me, love. You know I can't stay long. All I wanted to say was I love you and I'm not afraid. Can you hear me? Can you feel me in your arms'?"

Aribeth nodded slowly, wrapping her arms tighter around Fenthick. _How can this be happening? This is all wrong!_

Fenthick continued on, though his throat closed around the words he desperately needed to say, "'Holding my last breath safe inside myself are my thoughts of you; sweet raptured light, it ends here tonight'."

Donnia looked to Lord Nasher. Surely he would not ask for Fenthick's death just to appease the city. Her fears were confirmed when he began ordering members of his guard to take Fenthick into custody to be hung.

A few snowflakes started falling slowly to the ground, melting on contact.

Fenthick looked up at the weeping sky, the clouds thick and dreary. "'I'll miss the winter, a world of fragile things'." Fenthick blinked a tear's escape from his eye. "'Look for me in the white forest, hiding in a hollow tree. Come find me'."

Aribeth squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block out what was happening and trying to absorb her last contact with her love all at once. Tears began to cascade down her porcelain cheeks.

Fenthick leaned forward and kissed her cheeks, pulling her tears into himself, holding on to her with all that he was. "'I know you hear me, I can taste it in your tears'."

Aribeth choked out, "Don't leave me! You can't leave me! I love you!"

Lord Nasher's guards came up to Fenthick, almost apologetically they took his arms and led him to the tree.

Fenthick still called out to his lady, "'Say goodnight. Don't be afraid'."

Lady Aribeth looked lost, torn between her love and her duty. She looked to Donnia, hoping that in her friend she would find some answers.

Donnia too was torn. How could the city that she fought so hard for be committing such a wrong? This was not right! She would have tried to approach Lord Nasher if she thought it would have done any good. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Aribeth move toward the tree. She began to run, crying out for Fenthick. Donnia turned and caught her, stopping her before she too got herself in trouble with Lord Nasher. "Lady Aribeth, don't. Stay here with me."

The crowd cheered as the noose was fitted around Fenthick's neck.

Aribeth fell into Donnia's arms, crying with all her strength. Her sobs lost in the cacophony of cheers from the mob fell on Donnia's shoulder.

Donnia closed her eyes hoping that when she opened them that this would all be some horrible nightmare. _This cannot be happening!_

Fenthick called out one last time to his Lady Aribeth, "I love you. 'Don't be afraid'."

The sickening crack of his neck resounded throughout the city center. Aribeth's sobs quieted. The mob continued cheering. When his body stopped swinging they slowly began their walks home.

Donnia whispered to Aribeth, "You must be strong now. The city needs you to be strong now." Her words choked off as her throat closed around them, her own silent tears began to fall.

When at last all onlookers had abandoned the area Lady Aribeth knelt before her love whispering her last goodbye. Slowly she stood and turned toward Nasher's castle, Donnia following her, saying a silent prayer for Fenthick Moss.

Lady Aribeth was having nightmares. They were similar to her dreams earlier in her life when Tyr had appeared to her and asked her to become a paladin for him. Now, Tyr was appearing to her once again, telling her that he had been wrong to choose her, and that it should have been her blood spilled.

She had met up with Aarin Gend, another adventurer and friend to Lord Nasher, in Port Llast. She had asked Donnia to come with her, and Donnia had asked Tomi to continue their partnership. They were searching for clues for where the People of the Eye, the Helmites behind the spread of the plague, got their direction.

Every time Donnia would report back to Aribeth, she always seemed so distant, each time more than the last. Donnia knew of her nightmares and tried to comfort her, telling her it was from her grief of losing Fenthick, but nothing she said seemed to reach Aribeth. She feared she would lose her soon if something did not change.

One night when Donnia and Tomi had decided to stay in town Donnia was walking past Lady Aribeth's door and she could hear her friend crying inside. She stood there outside the door unsure of what to do. She wanted to go in and comfort her friend but she did not want to go where she was unwelcome. As Donnia weighed her decisions Lady Aribeth started chokingly to cry out her prayers.

Tourniquet – Evanescence

"'My wounds cry for the grave. My soul cries for deliverance. Will I be denied'? My almighty Tyr will you turn your back on me in this trying time of my life? I need your strength to flow through me. Without you I will lose this battle that I have fought for so long. Will you have me fail the city which I love? Those people need me as I need you. Without you we will all lose. 'My god, my tourniquet, return to me salvation'! Please stand with me, stay with me. I need your strength!"

Donnia was all but consumed by Aribeth's grief. The pain that her friend was forced to endure in secret was so great. At long last Donnia decided to at least try to comfort her. Softly, she knocked on the door.

A weak "come in" sounded from Aribeth.

Slowly Donnia pushed open the door and stepped inside. "Lady Aribeth, is there anything that I can do for you?"

Aribeth smiled weakly, "Donnia, you mustn't always address me as Lady. We're friends are we not? You can address me as such."

Donnia smiled softly in return. "Aribeth, is there anything at all that you would require of me? I did not mean to but I overheard your prayers standing in the hallway. I know that I do not understand your pain, but surely if you shared the load with someone it would not be so overpowering."

Aribeth lightly squeezed her eyes shut, freeing two tears to journey down her cheeks, following the river that had been forged by earlier tears all the way down to her chin before dripping off and falling onto her cloak.

She took a deep breath, tried to calm her shaking hands and voice. "I think if I had just lost Fenthick, I could deal with it. But these nightmares are going to be the end of me. It is as though reliving every moment back in Neverwinter during every waking moment of every day is not enough. I have to deal with my god reminding me of my failure, of him turning back on his decision to have me fight in his name. He told me himself that it was mistake coming to me.

"Fighting in Tyr's name is all I've known for so long. There is nothing else in my life. I was even set to marry a cl...a cleric of his service. It is in his name that I fought to defend Neverwinter. If he takes back his favor to me then everything I have done has been a mistake. Everything I've done, I've done through him. I don't want my life to be a mistake." A tear escaped her eye and forged a new path on her cheek.

Donnia took Aribeth's hand in hers, clasping it tightly. "They're just nightmares, Aribeth, just nightmares. What you have been forced to suffer alone would bring anyone to their knees. You've had to push all feelings of grief aside and fight for your city, for Lord Nasher. You doubt yourself because of what happened to Fenthick. I wish...I wish there was something I could do to ease your suffering. I wish that with every fiber of my being. Every time I return here to report on my progress I hope that I will see that spark in your eyes again. It's what kept me going back in Neverwinter. I never would have made it without you, without your support. It was together that we saved that city. Tyr choosing you was not a mistake just as your choosing me was not a mistake. Everything in your life has been right. It may have seemed wrong in the beginning but everyday we're one step closer to finding the real cause of the plague. Our being here is not a mistake. We will find those responsible and we will make them pay for all they have done. But I cannot do this without you. I too have wondered. I wonder every day if I'm doing the right thing. I left home. I left my father alone. He died alone. I should have been by his side. If I had stayed at home who knows what would have happened. I could have died along side him of the plague. Maybe no one else would have survived the attack on the Academy. Then where would we be? We were meant to fight this together. You must believe in that. If you lose faith in this it's all for nothing. I will always support you, believe in you. I will always fight by your side."

The candle's flame swayed in the slight breeze coming in from the window. Shadows danced across Aribeth's face. "Your support in me means everything, Donnia. I feel stronger when you're by my side. Just knowing that someone out there has faith in me makes it seem like I'm doing the right thing."

"You are doing the right thing. Never doubt yourself. I will never doubt you. If I lose faith in you I lose faith in myself."

Aribeth smiled again, this time warmly. "I will never doubt you. If I lose faith in myself I'll lose faith in you. I cannot allow them to win. I will make them pay for all of the innocent blood they have spilled. And Fenthick, my Fenthick," her voice began to crack softly, "may he forever rest in peace. I will find him again some day. We will be reunited and our love allowed to flourish as it once did."

Donnia lightly squeezed Aribeth's hand. "May you sleep peacefully tonight, Lady Aribeth." She placed a chaste kiss on her cheek, bidding her goodnight and left her to find her own rest.

In her searching, Donnia found that cult was based in Luskan, a city famous for its evil-side and law-breaking approaches to life. It was also known for its affiliation with the arcane. Powerful wizards once ruled the city and commanded fierce armies.

They decided to head their search from one of the inns inside the city that had not been overrun by the Helmites. They were just getting set up when Aarin came rushing to Donnia. "Have you seen Lady Aribeth?"

"Not since we arrived in the city, no. Where do you think she has gone?" Donnia prayed that her friend was okay. She was almost hoping that she had found the leader of these people and was seeking her personal revenge. Anything would have been better than the truth.

"I honestly don't know. Please find her. We will need her help if we are to defeat these cultists."

Donnia left the inn and headed for the most logical place to find the leader in this city, the Host Tower.

The Host Tower had been built as a school for training wizards and sorcerers. It was very tall, but most of the space could only be accessed by magical means.

Donnia led Tomi into the tower. Silence greeted them from all sides. Darkness reached out from all corners. Donnia prayed that Aribeth was not here. She knew that her friend would not be able to fight to defend herself against what Donnia feared hid in this tower.

She looked around the first floor of the tower, finding no one about and only finding a small stone. As she neared the center of the tower she saw a beam of light that reached from the floor all the way to the ceiling, at least 30 feet in the air.

In front of the beam of light there was a small cut-out in the floor that perfectly matched the stone. Donnia placed the stone in the hole and was immediately taken to another floor.

Tomi looked at her with surprise, "How'd you know to do that?"

Donnia was unsure of that herself. "It made sense, I suppose. Let's see if we can find another stone so we can search this building fully. I'm afraid, though, of what we will find."

Each floor they found a stone that seemed allow them passage further up in the tower. Donnia had yet to find another living being in the building. It was almost frightening in its emptiness. She did not know if it was good or bad that no one was trying to attack her.

At last, they were transported to a study that had no cut-out on the floor for another stone. Donnia looked to Tomi, "I guess this is the top. There doesn't seem to be a way to keep going, so let's look around here."

She searched the small desk in the study. It held a journal belonging to a Maugrim Korothir. Donnia quickly scanned some of the entries and learned much.

Maugrim had been responsible for releasing the plague on Neverwinter. He had been able to teach his cultists how to spread false blessings that would infect the people with the plague that he had received from an unknown source. He had guessed that when the first few people began to become ill, all of their friends would run to receive a blessing, further spreading the plague.

Donnia was unable to learn who had given Maugrim control over the plague, but she felt she had learned vital information even without that fact. She took the journal with her and left the study through the only door.

She came out on top of the tower on the opposite end of what seemed to be a large group of people. The nearer Donnia got to them she was able to identify Aribeth among them. At first, she was happy to have found Aribeth alive. She was waiting for what she assumed was an imminent attack on who she guessed was Maugrim, when everything Donnia had believed in collapsed around her.

Aribeth turned and saw Donnia staring at her. To Donnia, it was no longer Aribeth who was looking at her, but the shell of who she had once been. She turned to Maugrim and he cast a Time Stop. Donnia was frozen as Maugrim approached her.

"You think you have defeated me? You have no idea what you have stumbled upon. Her power will bring you to your knees if you persist in this little quest of yours. Aribeth and I are planning something quite spectacular for your little Neverwinter. Nothing you can do will be able to save it, adventurer. I do hope that we will meet again, for I shall enjoy killing you, little girl."

Just as his spell was fading, he and Aribeth escaped with their minions. Though no longer held by a spell, Donnia could not move. Her heart ached for Aribeth, the beautiful paladin who had betrayed everything she once loved. Donnia had seen Aribeth leaving with Maugrim, but she could not allow herself to believe it.

Donnia called out to Aribeth, though she knew it was too late, Taking Over Me – Evanescence "'I believe in you. I'll give up everything just to find you. I have to be with you to live, to breathe. You're taking over me. Have you forgotten all I know and all we had'? Why have you done this?! How can you turn your back on me, on everything we've fought for?!" Donnia fell to her knees. "'I believed in you'! How could you do this?!" Her sobs coursed through her body. Her despair was all consuming. "If you do this, if you go through with this, everything has been a mistake. I've been a mistake. FENTHICK WAS A MISTAKE!!"

Tomi stood back, not sure what he should do. When at last Donnia's crying quieted he softly spoke up, "We should...we should tell Aarin what happened."

Donnia's head hung down, her hair falling in front of her face, hiding her tears from him. _It's all been a mistake. I was a mistake. She was a mistake._ She sniffed once, blinked to clear her eyes and slowly rose to her feet. She said nothing to Tomi but went back into the room they had come from.

_It's all been a mistake._


	15. A Switching of Roles

Chapter 14  
  
The pain in her chest was almost too much to bear. It felt as though someone had stabbed her with a large sword and twisted the blade. Her body ached with each breath.  
  
She did not know where she was, she did not want to open her eyes. The last thing she remembered was Mephistopheles staring down at her with his devil's eyes. It was then she knew she was dead.  
  
Donnia slowly opened her eyes and found herself in familiar surroundings. The Realm of the Reaper never changed. The pain in her chest lessened as she stood, but an old wound still throbbed. She doubted that one would ever heal.  
  
Her sword that Mephistopheles had killed her with hung at her side, where it should have been. Her mind swam with foggy details of her last few moments alive.  
  
She walked to the Reaper, standing as he always did. "Am I dead?"  
  
He seemed to regard her with sympathy, though it was hard to tell since she could not see his face. "You are dead to a point. Your place has been switched. You now exist in this realm as Mephistopheles now exists in yours and I cannot send you back from where you came."  
  
Donnia found some joy at knowing she was not truly dead. "Why can't you send me back? You have always sent me back."  
  
"I have been ordered by great Mephistopheles to not allow you back on Toril."  
  
"Well, I order you to return me to Toril."  
  
"It's not that easy, Sojourner. He learned my True Name and only he commands my actions. If you wish to return to your world, you too must learn my True Name."  
  
"How would I go about finding it?"  
  
"Seek the Knower of Places. She can direct you to her sister, the Knower of Names."  
  
Donnia's heart was once again gripped in fear, "What of my companions, Valen and Nathyrra?"  
  
The Reaper seemed to be thinking, "They too are dead like you."  
  
"Where are they? Can you return them to me?"  
  
"That I can do, Sojourner. Is there anything else that I can do for you?"  
  
"No, just return my friends to me. I will return when I know your True Name."  
  
Donnia turned around and nearly wept when she saw Valen and Nathyrra. "As much as I want you here, I wish you weren't." She walked over to them, wishing they were still alive.  
  
Valen took her hand and pressed it to his lips, as he had in the beholder cave. "I promised you that I would follow you even into the hells. You did not think I would go back on my word?"  
  
Donnia managed a small smile. "What happened?"  
  
Nathyrra answered, "It was that archdevil you told us of, Mephistopheles. We did not even get the chance to attack before he killed us."  
  
The tears would not stop falling from Donnia's eyes, "I'm so terribly sorry. This is all my fault. If I had never found that damn relic none of this would have happened. You would both be alive, not stuck here."  
  
Valen forced her to look at him, "I'm actually quite glad that this happened. If it hadn't, true, we would be alive, but I would not be with you as I am now. If we must stay here then I am glad I am here with you."  
  
Donnia kissed him lightly. She was glad that she would not have to face this alone. Being stuck in one of the hells was bad, and she was glad that she had her friends with her. She did not want to think about what it would be like without them.  
  
She took a deep breath, calming herself. "There is a way to go home, at least to the surface. We must find the Knower of Places so she can direct us to the Knower of Names. In order to stop Mephistopheles we have to know the Reaper's True Name and order him to send us back."  
  
Nathyrra warned, "You must be careful, Donnia. True Names hold incredible power. In knowing someone's True Name you assume a great responsibility."  
  
"Thank you for your warning, Nathyrra. I shall remember it well."  
  
They stepped through the door that had once been barred from Donnia in life, but was now open to her in death. She prayed that someone would be able to stop Mephistopheles before he destroyed her world. 


	16. The Student Becomes the Master

Chapter 15  
  
Maugrim and Aribeth began their attack on Neverwinter not long after leaving Luskan. Because of Aribeth, Maugrim now knew near to every secret about the city, every weakness. He exploited them to the full stretch of his power. Before much time had passed, he and his forces were just outside the city center.  
  
Donnia had been able to find the Words of Power, ancient relics from the Creator Race without much difficulty. She had at least beat Maugrim to those.  
  
With the help of Haedraline, a Word Slave, Donnia sought her next goal, the Source Stone, buried beneath the city of Neverwinter. She had to enter the stone and defeat Morag, Queen of the Old Ones.  
  
"D'you think Aribeth is nearby?" Tomi asked Donnia. He had been careful not to mention Aribeth since her betrayal. He had seen the look on his partner's face when she left with Maugrim, but now he felt he had a right to know.  
  
Donnia felt the sharp twinge in her chest at the mention of Aribeth. "I would imagine she is very close. She would want to watch the city die." She said nothing more about it.  
  
Donnia and Tomi carefully worked their way through the war-torn city. Donnia tried very hard not to look at the faces of the dead; she feared she would recognize them.  
  
Tomi carefully watched Donnia. He knew that she had lived in Neverwinter before getting caught up with finding the cure. Through their adventures together he had asked her a lot about her childhood, at least before her mother died. She wouldn't talk of it to him, just said that she died. He could tell it still bothered her, but no matter how hard he tried she just would not talk about it.  
  
At last they came up to what was obviously Aribeth and Maugrim's stronghold. It was guarded heavily by two stone golems. Donnia had been able to learn their weakness while going through the city. As they spotted Donnia and Tomi, Donnia quickly ran up behind one and poured a magical potion over the creature's back, rendering it stationery. She quickly did they same to the other and she and Tomi quickly dismantled the creatures before the potion wore off.  
  
Without checking to see if the door was locked or trapped, Donnia bashed it in. She knew that Aribeth was inside. She also knew that Aribeth was waiting for her.  
  
Inside the building there were no other guards to slow their progress. They quickly moved through the halls looking for Aribeth. Donnia was beginning to wonder if maybe they had been tricked by the golems when she heard Aribeth's laugh.  
  
Upon hearing it, Donnia stopped in her tracks. It sounded so much like how Aribeth used to laugh, but something was different. It was cold and hard and not caused by a something humorous.  
  
Donnia rounded the last corner in time to see Aribeth laughing over the headless corpse of some poor soul she had found in the streets. It was obvious, even from the great distance between the body and Donnia that the body had been tortured mercilessly with a whip and had been severely burned several times.  
  
Donnia stepped into the room and Aribeth turned to her with a small strange smile on her face. "At last, teacher and student meet."  
  
"Aribeth, why are you doing this? You don't want to do this. Come back with me and Lord Nasher will forgive you, Neverwinter will forgive you." Donnia knew it to be a lie, but she did not want to fight her.  
  
"We spent too much time together for you to think you can lie to me. I know all of your tells. For one, you cannot lie. Even when you try you look them dead in the eye and I can see your lie there. Your eyes are pleading, but not with the truth."  
  
"I don't want to fight you. Was nothing that we fought for together worth anything? Did nothing we accomplish mean anything to you?"  
  
Aribeth stopped for a moment, "It did once. I wanted to share the rest of my life with Fenthick in Neverwinter. But Neverwinter did not want to share Fenthick with me. We were to be married ten days after the Waterdavian Creatures escaped. We pushed it back until the cure could be found. When it had been, we had begun making tentative plans again when I found myself kneeling at his feet dangling from the end of a rope."  
  
"Lady Aribeth, please come back with me. The city needs you."  
  
"No, the city needed me once, and then it betrayed me. I won't go back. And you won't go forward."  
  
"Lady Aribeth, I must defeat Maugrim. I have to stop Morag from ruling the world again. She cannot be allowed to gain anymore power than she already has."  
  
"Then you must kill me. I bet you have been wanting to do this for a long time. I bet you have been dreaming of the day you would be strong enough to defeat me. Do you think you can defeat me, who knows your power as well as my own?"  
  
Donnia closed her eyes for only a brief moment, allowing a small tear to escape. She drew her sword and waited for Aribeth to attack her.  
  
Aribeth wasted no time in her attack. In between her attacks with her sword she cast personal healing spells, making the attack drag on for what seemed an eternity.  
  
Donnia knew what she was doing. She had seen her do this before. She would cast those healing spells, allowing herself more strength in her attack while her opponent would quickly wear out. She could not allow herself to be defeated; if she died, the world went with her.  
  
Just as Donnia was about to strike her again, Aribeth swung out with a short sword. It tore through Donnia's armor and deeply pierced the skin beneath. Grot'yah's armor had proven indestructible until now.  
  
Donnia stood shocked for a moment, before faltering with her injury. Tomi was worried for her, but saw the almost imperceptible wink she gave him.  
  
Donnia fell to the floor, grasping her side where the blood fell from her armor. Aribeth went over to her, standing above her. "Weakling, I thought I trained you better than that. Always look out for the sneak..."  
  
Before Aribeth could finish her sentence Donnia had removed a dagger from her belt and jammed into Aribeth's neck.  
  
Aribeth grabbed for the dagger, but before she could remove it or cast a healing spell, she fell to the ground, having bled to death.  
  
Donnia kneeled over Aribeth's body and wept for her, for what she had done, why she had done it, and the city that was dying for it outside.  
  
Tomi said nothing, but stood to the side, not wanting to interfere. He was almost truly shocked. This was the first time he had seen such emotions from her. He knew her to be a caring person and compassionate, but he had never before seen her cry.  
  
Donnia wiped her eyes and stood carefully, her side burning with each breath. She took a healing potion from her pack and drank it. The pain did not go away. Donnia carefully removed her armor to look at the wound. It was still gaping wide open, but it did not bleed anymore. She tried applying a healing kit to it directly, but the wound remained much as it had. She took some bits of cloth from her pack and stuck them to the wound to prevent any further wounding that she could prevent.  
  
She looked at the armor plate on the ground before her. The once beautiful silver was dull, the magic gone. Donnia could barely begin to imagine what Aribeth had done to the sword to allow it to do such damage.  
  
"You have to find some new armor. You can't go on without it," Tomi said to her, looking over the damaged breastplate.  
  
"I don't have anything else. I don't have a choice," Donnia replied. She did not like the idea of continuing on without much protection, but she did not see any alternative.  
  
Before leaving, Donnia took Aribeth's sword and placed it into her pack. It did not weigh much, so it did not hamper her movements, but she knew it was there; a reminder of how things used to be.  
  
They had not ventured far from Aribeth's body before meeting Maugrim.  
  
Maugrim gave Donnia a strange look, "Lose something?"  
  
"I don't think so."  
  
He grinned slightly, "Whatever you say. Either way, I see that you have defeated Aribeth. Not a critical loss, but I'm sure it will be felt by someone."  
  
Donnia would not let her emotions be involved, "You just used her to plan your attack on the city." It was more of an accusation than a question.  
  
"Of course. What other use would she have to me?"  
  
"I see." Donnia fought off the urge to ram her sword into him then, but knew she needed some information first. "Do you know who sent the dreams to her then?"  
  
Maugrim seemed to be entertained by their current conversation and had yet to make a move in attack, "I do. I would assume it would be the same one who sent them to me. That would be Morag, the future queen of the Frozen North. But it won't be the Frozen North much longer."  
  
"She uses you the same way you used Aribeth. You will be disposed of when your need is gone."  
  
Maugrim merely shrugged, "You think I don't know this? But I will not allow her to kill me. I will keep the Source Stone with me at all times, if she tries to kill me, I will destroy it, which will end her existence. But I grow tired of this prattle. Shall we get on with it then?"  
  
Donnia made no reply. While he had been discussing his plan to stay alive, she had quickly and carefully removed her dagger from her belt so as not to draw attention to her motions. Just as he finished speaking she threw at him, knowing it would strike with deadly accuracy.  
  
Maugrim looked down at his chest. He placed his hand around the dagger and tried to remove it, but the blood spilling from the wound had slickened the handle and he could not grasp it. He pulled his hand back and stared at the blood staining it. He opened his mouth to say something, but no words escaped as he fell to his knees and onto his chest.  
  
Donnia rolled his body over to remove the blade from his heart, wiped it off and continued down into the lower levels of the building. 


	17. Some Wounds Just Never Heal

Chapter 16  
  
The cold wind bit through Donnia's body as though she wore nothing over her skin. Her hair was crusted in ice; her hands were nearly numb with cold. The three still ventured on. They would occasionally stop to talk to some of the spirits who roamed that plane and would warm themselves for a moment by the fire to keep alive.  
  
Donnia had learned of the Sleeping Man and his quest to find his true love. She was seeking the answers to the Five-Fold Mystery, questions of why he had come to Cania and who he was. She had four of them answered, but no one seemed to know what he had found upon arriving in Cania.  
  
She had heard of an uprising against Mephistopheles by a powerful woman who had organized the spirits and workers to revolt against his rule. Mephistopheles had quickly ended this, but now no one would mention her, just quickly speak of the frozen woman in a cave. It was that cave that Donnia, Valen, and Nathyrra were currently looking for.  
  
"I never knew that it could ever be this cold anywhere," Nathyrra spoke through chattering teeth.  
  
"It could be worse," Valen replied.  
  
Nathyrra regarded him strangely, "Worse? What could possibly be worse than this frozen plane? We seem to be merely walking in circles not gaining on our goal."  
  
Donnia knew that was true. She did not know what to do anymore. It seemed that each time she started to step in the right direction that she would lose track of it and start off back at the beginning again. Her heart was gripped in frozen terror at what was happening back on Toril.  
  
Valen looked to Donnia as Nathyrra spoke. Her movements may have looked to be those of a confident warrior, but he could tell something was wrong. Since they had found the first four answers she just seemed to recede farther into herself the longer it took to find the fifth answer and the cave. She had barely spoken in days.  
  
Valen looked back to Nathyrra, "What's worse than this frozen plane is dying here and yet not dying at all. To wake up as though from sleep and still find yourself surrounded by hundreds, if not thousands, of enemies doing the same. Fighting for an eternity with no real purpose, goal, nor victory or loss in sight."  
  
Nathyrra paused for a moment before continuing, "Valen, I'm sorry. I forgot that this was where you fought in the Blood War."  
  
"It's nothing. We're far from it here."  
  
"Let's go back to the tavern, maybe there's someone there who can help us." Donnia spoke this just loud enough to be heard over the howling wind before turning back in the direction of the tavern. She did not look to her companions to see if they followed. She assumed they would, but she was beginning to wonder why they did. She had failed them and everyone else too. She was no more meant to be a hero or savior than any other person.  
  
Valen's heart seemed to break just a little more every time she spoke or glanced at him. There was nothing in her voice, no emotion, no anything. He had tried talking with her several times only to have short, clipped answers in return. It was not as though she was mad, or upset, but just empty.  
  
The cold seemed especially harsh on Donnia. The wound delivered by Aribeth so many years ago still looked fresh. It did not bleed, but it did not heal either. It pained her everyday, but she had grown used to it, or at least thought she had. Since entering Cania it hurt more fiercely than it had since the wound itself occurred.  
  
The three of them reentered the tavern and started talking to anyone about the frozen woman. The only clue they kept getting was to find the Scrivener. He was a little dog-like beast who wrote the names of the spirits in the ice. He might be able to help them on their quest.  
  
It was getting late and Donnia was able to get them a room for the night. Though the tavern was heated, it provided little warmth, but at that point, anything was better than nothing. She collected plenty of wood, coal, and velox nettles to keep the room as warm as possible through the night.  
  
Valen entered the room behind Donnia and laid down his flail in the corner. He went to Donnia to help her set up the fires. Nathyrra cast a protective spell over the door to keep them safe so no watch would be required over that night.  
  
Donnia removed her sword and gently laid it down on the floor. Upon rising, pain screamed from her side, forcing her to double over and bite her cheek to keep from crying out. Her breathing was ragged and forced through her teeth. Her head spun from the fierce pain radiating from Aribeth's wound.  
  
Valen turned to see her kneeling on the floor grasping her side. "Donnia! Are you okay?" He knelt down beside her to offer any help that he could.  
  
Nathyrra quickly flanked her other side to assist her friend. "What happened?"  
  
Donnia had to concentrate on her breathing for fear she would pass out. It had not hurt this much when Aribeth had stabbed her. "It's just an old wound that never healed."  
  
"How old?" Valen was concerned for her. She was breathing rapidly and he could feel her heart racing under his hand on her wrist.  
  
"It's from Aribeth. She did something to her sword and the wound never healed."  
  
Valen was shocked at this, "Aribeth? That must have been..."  
  
"Exactly. It's never hurt this bad before. In fact, it didn't hurt this much when she stabbed me."  
  
Nathyrra had never seen such a wound on her friend and wondered if it had been hidden from them on purpose. "Is there anything we can do to help you?"  
  
"I don't think so. I just need to get my armor off, I can't breathe." She pulled off the arm coverings and laid them aside and began to unclasp her breastplate. She pulled it off and immediately felt the relief from its weight. The pain did not lesson. She slid up her leather covering to look at the all too familiar wound.  
  
Both Valen and Nathyrra gasped lightly at what they saw. A large gash stretched from Donnia's side around to the center of her stomach. It looked just like a fresh wound, but it did not bleed. Donnia gently probed it with her fingertips, sharply inhaling each time she made contact with the wound.  
  
Nathyrra was the first to speak, "Donnia, have you tried getting someone to cast a healing spell over it?"  
  
Donnia's eyes were closed tightly against the pain, "I've tried everything. Nothing helps and I doubt anything ever will. Unless I can find out what Aribeth did to that sword to do this kind of damage I just have to deal with it."  
  
Valen could feel his blood starting to boil. He had fought in horrible battles, inflicted and suffered from serious wounds, but had never heard of anything like this. He almost wished that Donnia had not killed Aribeth so he could do it himself now.  
  
He closed his eyes. He knew that they would be glowing red by now. He could not afford to let loose his emotions when the demonic half of him was in control. He had been fighting this since he had met the Seer, he knew how to control himself, but was finding it harder to do being so close to the Blood War. It was calling to him.  
  
He slowly opened his eyes when he felt his blood return to normal. He looked down at Donnia, lying on the floor with her hands over her wound carefully, here eyes clenched shut. Pain had etched itself across her face. Despite the chill still present in the room sweat dampened her forehead.  
  
Valen removed his cloak, wrapped it up into a tight ball, and carefully lifted Donnia's head and placed it back down on his make-shift pillow. He sat down next to her, lightly brushing the hair from her face. He understood there was nothing he could do to make it hurt less, but he wanted her to know he was there.  
  
For the remainder of the night Donnia remained gripped in pain. Valen stayed by her side, wishing there was something he could do to lessen her pain. Nathyrra kept the fires going, trying to keep the room as warm as possible. Donnia seemed to be in less pain when it was warmer.  
  
During the night Donnia slipped into sleep. Valen heard her breathing become slow and even, but her face did not relax, pulled tight by pain. He lay down next to her and kissed her cheek softly. He had not planned on sleeping but was beginning to find it difficult to keep his eyes open. He knew, though, that he would feel if something changed while he slept. As he fell asleep he whispered softly to Donnia, "I love you."  
  
Donnia heard him and smiled. She was just as light a sleeper as he and hoped he might hear her as she had him, "And I love you, Valen."  
  
Valen smiled in the dark, but said nothing in return. He lightly clasped one of her hands in his and tried to send her whatever strength he could to help her through her pain. 


	18. The Ends Draws Nigh

Chapter 17  
  
"Those archaeologists were a bit paranoid," Tomi said as they headed for the ceremony room.  
  
Donnia looked over to Tomi, "Don't you think you would be too if you just realized what kind of power was hidden down here? Not to mention that we don't exactly look like scholars."  
  
Tomi glanced at Donnia. No, neither of them looked like scholars. Donnia was carrying her greatsword instead keeping it in its sheath. Blood stained the tunic she usually wore under her armor, but now was all of the protection she had thanks to Aribeth. Her hair was matted to her head from sweat, blood, and grime from their recent travels and battles. Dirt smudged her face. Looking at her then, Tomi was glad that he was on her side for she was truly a sight that he would not want to see as an enemy.  
  
They entered the long deserted ceremony room. Four pedestals stood in the center of this room, three of them were empty. The fourth still held the Source Stone, sitting just as it was for thousands of years. Donnia removed the three other Words of Power and placed them on the other pedestals. She waited for something to happen, telling her what she would need to do next.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
"What do we do now?" Tomi asked as Donnia looked to the stones for an answer.  
  
"I'm not sure. Let's just try something." Donnia walked to the Source Stone and looked down at it. The pedestal bore no markings of instruction. The stone itself was surprisingly normal in appearance considering the power it held. Donnia ran her hand over the stone and the world went black.  
  
Donnia opened her eyes and found herself in what appeared to be a cave. Stone walls grew up on all sides around her, starting as the floor and then becoming the ceiling. The only light came from a stone on her belt.  
  
A bright flash of light came from behind her and Tomi materialized out of nothingness.  
  
"Don't do that!" Tomi yelled to Donnia.  
  
Donnia looked confused, "Don't do what?"  
  
"Just disappear! I'm tired of watching you vanish! I've lost count of how many times you've done that. At least give me a warning when you're about to do that."  
  
Donnia smiled at him, "I'll do my best to remember to warn you when I walk into a situation where it might be possible for me to disappear by doing something that I'm unsure of the results or consequences."  
  
Tomi glared at her for a moment before grinning. "Okay, I get it. You aren't more prepared for it than I, but at least tell me what you're planning on doing in situations such as this one. Deal?"  
  
"Deal. I assume we're inside the Source Stone. Any suggestions?"  
  
"Yeah, find Morag, kill her, and don't get killed ourselves in the process."  
  
"Sounds good to me, let's go."  
  
Donnia and Tomi went in the only direction they could, forward. No sounds but those of their footsteps could be heard. Donnia's belt remained the only source of light. Her mind was still reeling from killing Aribeth. The confrontation played over and over in her mind. Surely there had to be another way, she thought to herself. If I'd just tried harder... Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a voice. Not a normal voice, this one sounded raspy and the speaker hissed quite a bit.  
  
Tomi glanced over to Donnia quickly. They both knew that Morag was not far ahead.  
  
They came to a trapped and locked door that Tomi set upon disabling and unlocking at once. Donnia kept her trained ears alert for any words that she could pick up out of the conversation.  
  
When the lock had been dealt with, Donnia walked over to the door and slowly opened it without making a sound. Inside she saw four of the lizard- race, one standing apart from the other three, still talking.  
  
"...power has been released we shall rule over this land again. Go, tell everyone else to prepare for battle. These pesky intruders on our land will suffer greatly..." Morag then saw Donnia and Tomi standing inside the door, battle-ready. "Well, I must admit, I wasn't expecting you just yet. No matter, you shall be disposed of ahead of schedule." With that, Morag disappeared and her three minions turned and attacked the two adventurers.  
  
Donnia released her poisoned dagger with fatal accuracy into the heart of one of the minions causing it to stumble backwards and begin seizing as the poison seeped into every part of its body.  
  
She and Tomi split up to dispatch of the two remaining lizards. Despite not having half of her armor, Donnia still attacked with all her might. The lizard spat at her, trying to distract her, but she did not falter from her attack. She swung her greatsword, the Dagger of Chaos, across the lizard's body, at once stunning the creature into paralysis. With another swing of her sword, the creature's head rolled across the floor as the body fell limply to the ground.  
  
Donnia turned to assist Tomi, but found he needed no help. With his amazing dexterity he was able to move faster than the creature could react and proceeded to stab the creature through its armor and move behind it to deliver the final fatal stab.  
  
Without a word the two pressed forward searching for Morag.  
  
Along the way Donnia found odd various weapons. All of them seemed to be charged with a specific type of energy. For instance, one was powered with thunder, another with lightning, and one with poison. There were five in all. She picked them up and carried them with her, not wanting to leave them behind should they be important.  
  
They had not gone much further before they found Morag again. She was in what appeared to be a ceremony room. At the head of the room were eight figures seeming to pray. Magic seemed to pour from them and collect over Morag. Each contributed their own specific energy; one was thunder, another lightning, five of them matching up to the energies that powered the weapons that Donnia had just picked up. She knew then that the only way to beat Morag would be to beat her source of power.  
  
She quickly leaned over to Tomi before being spotted by Morag. "I need you to distract her so I can get rid of her power source."  
  
Tomi nodded briefly, "Sure thing, love. Just so long as you know what you're doing."  
  
"Always. Good luck." With that she clung to the shadows, hoping to get past Morag without being detected. She knew that if Morag saw her heading for her power source that she would not be distracted by Tomi, but would instead focus all of her attention on Donnia.  
  
She was about half of the way across the room when Tomi made his move. "'Ey you!"  
  
Morag merely flicked her tongue out at him.  
  
"You scaly bitch! You think you can just waltz back into Faerun and lay down the law?"  
  
Morag turned to face him allowing Donnia a little more leeway in her movements.  
  
"You don't have any power left to try to rule. You think this stone is going to protect you? Not if I destroy first." Tomi turned and ran back toward the way they had entered the room, back toward where they entered the stone.  
  
Morag gave a quick hiss and took off after him.  
  
Donnia said a quick prayer for her friend and laid out the five weapons. She took up the first one; a small hammer powered by thunder, and went toward the figure supplying the power of thunder to Morag. "Here goes nothing," she whispered to herself and swung the hammer at the figure. At once, the magic flowing from the creature lessened. She hit it again and again until the figure stopped releasing any energy and disappeared.  
  
"Let's see how you fare without any power now, Morag." Donnia repeated the same process with the four other weapons and their corresponding figure at the head of the room.  
  
As she placed the final blow on the fifth creature she heard an ear- shattering scream reverberating throughout the room. Tomi had led Morag back toward the ceremony room, knowing that Donnia would be about finished with what she needed to do.  
  
Tomi stopped at the sound of the scream and turned back to face Morag, a face contorted even more so with pain and confusion. She quickly regrouped and charged after Donnia. "You think that is all my power? *hiss* Foolish woman, enjoy your death, for it shall be the last merciful thing I grant you."  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
"Not to interrupt your story, Donnia, but isn't that what the Valsharess said to you?" Valen asked.  
  
Donnia's pain had lessened during the night and she was now sitting up, leaning back against Valen's chest sharing their warmth in the cold room. "Yes, it is what she said to me as well. When I heard her say it to me, it was as though I had been pulled back into that fight, like it had never finished and I was stuck there trying to win all that time ago. It was as though nothing had happened since that time, that there was nothing since that time, only my eternal fight for the revenge of Neverwinter."  
  
Valen squeezed his eyes shut. He remembered well what she had been like when she had come back from that visit from the Valsharess, and how he had treated her.  
  
Donnia sensed his thoughts. She squeezed his hand lightly, "There was no way you could have known. I think she knew what to say, that she knew everything about me, and how to get to my soul, my being easily. Now, let me finish my story."  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Donnia was braced for the attack, Tomi was running to attack from behind, and yet the only sound Donnia could hear was her own heartbeat. She could see Morag rushing for her and Tomi rushing for Morag, but their feet made no sound as they struck the floor. Donnia immediately recognized what was happening. She had heard stories from other adventurers and heroes of such occurrences. She was finally in tune. Her sword became a part of her body. Her breathing calmed, clearing her mind. Her body no longer tensed in preparation, relaxed, but still stayed ready for battle.  
  
As Morag neared her, Donnia raised her sword and swung with all of the might her body possessed. All at once, her senses returned to normal. Everything came rushing back to her at once. She felt the weight of her sword in her hands, heard Tomi's rushing footsteps, heard Morag's body fall to the floor, blood rushing out from her chest where Donnia's blade had cut through her armor, scaled flesh, and bone.  
  
Tomi slowed his pace as he neared Morag's fallen body. He said nothing but looked up at Donnia. She too said nothing, but there was something different about her. Tomi could sense a change in her. True, he had always thought she contained a great deal of power, but now that power seemed to glow from the inside out, illuminating the dark cavern where they stood. Her face, no longer set in pain or grief, was set in long-awaited victory come at last.  
  
He was about to say something when the world started to collapse around them.  
  
The floor shook beneath their feet. The ceiling fell down around them. The walls began to collapse.  
  
They were too far away from where they entered the stone to attempt to go back there. Just as Donnia thought they were finished, a small portal appeared before them. Not caring where it led, she and Tomi stepped through it at once.  
  
Haedraline, the word-slave that Donnia had met before in her search for the Words of Power stood before her. "Thank you *hiss* for all that you have done."  
  
"You are most welcome. But where are we?" Donnia asked. They seemed to be on nothing more than a floor that was floating through some vast void space.  
  
"In the planes. *hiss* I at once sensed the end of Morag's hold on my powers and knew that you must have defeated her, but it was her power that sustained the Source Stone. I made a portal for you so that you might escape with your lives. *hiss*"  
  
"Then I must thank you for saving us." All at once Donnia realized that this was the end. She had nothing waiting for her anymore. The plague had been cured, the cult behind it stopped, and the power behind the cult destroyed. She had no idea what she was to do now.  
  
Haedraline sensed her thoughts. "This is not the end for you, Donnia Thensbane. You will go on to many more adventures. Tales will be written of you for years to come. But do be cautious. With your power and fame known throughout all of Faerun, and possibly even all of Toril, some will come to oppose you, hoping to gain fame by your demise."  
  
"Thank you, again, Haedraline. Can you return me to Neverwinter? I must spread the good news of this victory for all of Faerun."  
  
Haedraline gave a short nod of her head, and opened another portal, back to Neverwinter, and into whatever lay before her. 


	19. Warmth is Fading

Chapter 18  
  
The warmth surrounding her body was surprising. It was not the first impression that reached her. The pain in her side was still there, but it seemed to be muffled. She could feel it, but it did not seem to be coming from her body. Carefully she ran her hand down her side to the wound only to feel Valen's hand covering it.  
  
"I didn't know you were awake," she heard Valen say from somewhere behind her, but still close.  
  
Donnia then realized that the warmth she felt was from him. "How do you stay so warm?" she asked as she pressed closer to him, not wanting to feel the cold again.  
  
Valen was unsure what to say to this. It was partly due to his demon blood, but the rest was due to the fact that they were so close to the Blood Wars. He had been doing well so far in keeping himself under control, but he knew that his strength would only last so long. "It's just how I am. I feel the cold, but I don't become cold."  
  
"Whatever it is works for me." For the first time she opened her eyes. She had not seen much of the room when they had come in the night before, and she was glad of it. The walls were dark and stained with various colors from sources she did not want to guess. The floor was covered with bits of trash, cloth, and crumbs of food. A small mouse was in the opposite corner gnawing on a larger chunk of that food. Donnia just glanced over him; he was too small to cause too much trouble. The room was small so her survey did not take long. However, she did notice something was missing. "Valen, where is Nathyrra? And how are you doing that?" The pain in her side felt further from her body.  
  
"Doing what? And Nathyrra went to find more velox nettles for the day."  
  
"I can still feel it, but it's like the pain isn't part of my body, like it's not even there. And I know that it's you doing that for there isn't anyone else in here except for that mouse in the corner." She laid her hand on top of his softly covering her old wound.  
  
"It's just something I learned how to do. I can't really explain it other than I learned how to focus in on something and pull it into myself, like your pain for instance."  
  
"But, Valen, you can't do that! I can't ask you to do that." Donnia started to rise, but Valen's arms were tight around her keeping her still.  
  
"No, you didn't ask me to do it, but I had to. I couldn't stand seeing you like that. I can't do it for very long or completely rid you of that pain while I am doing it, but if I can take some of it from you, it's enough, if even for a short time." Valen grimaced slightly as the pain from her intensified as she moved.  
  
Donnia felt the pain too and lay still again. "Then I suppose I should say thank you."  
  
Valen lightly kissed the top of her head, "You're welcome, Donnia. Is it usually this bad?"  
  
"No, for some reason it's been almost unbearable since we entered Cania. I don't know if it's from the cold or for some other reason. But we really must get going. I don't know where we're going to go, but at least we'll be moving in some direction."  
  
This time when she started to rise, Valen let her and the tie between them was broken. The pain rushed back into her body causing her to suck in her breath between her teeth, but she knew she had to get going or she would lie back down in the warmth of Valen's arms again.  
  
She walked over to the metal pile that was her armor. She picked it up and just looked at it for a moment, taken back to the first time she ever put on real armor. Grot'yah's armor had fit her perfectly. It hardly weighed a thing on her body yet protected her until Aribeth. She had found this Red Dragon armor in a shop not long after defeating Morag. Its magical abilities had protected and saved her countless times since then and would hopefully continue to do so now.  
  
Remembering back to her first armor made her realize that this was the first time she could remember when she did not know where she was going. And it panicked her. Before she had only been risking her life, now there were two others that were depending on her and her abilities to keep them all alive.  
  
She closed her eyes for a brief moment gathering whatever strength she could find and put her armor on.  
  
* * * * * * * * * Nathyrra had returned shortly after Donnia had gotten ready with hopefully enough velox nettles to last them a long time. The three of them had left the tavern and set off to find the Scrivener.  
  
The cold no longer seemed to be coming from outside of her body, but almost like it was originating from within her body. The fires' warmth only lasted a short amount of time before the harsh bitter wind won.  
  
Donnia knew they were walking in circles again. The area was not that large, and yet she could not find the cave. She had heard that the Scrivener was standing guard in front of this old cave holding the remains of the woman who had stood against Mephistopheles.  
  
The feeling helplessness was growing stronger as time went on. It had been hours since they had left the tavern and they never seemed to get anywhere. She no longer knew why she was in charge of Valen and Nathyrra. It would be better if she hadn't asked the Reaper to summon them back to her. She did not know what she was doing any better than she knew where she was going. Mephistopheles was going to win. The world as she knew it would be destroyed and it would be her fault.  
  
A tear escaped her eyes and froze quickly to her cheek. 


	20. A City Restored, but For How Long?

Chapter 19  
  
"Donnia! Thank the gods you're alright!" Aarin Gend was not one to display his emotions but he was obviously very pleased to see Donnia walk into Nasher's Castle. He was rushing over to her when he noticed something a bit odd. Quickly averting his eyes, Aarin spoke to her, "Donnia, where's your armor?" The thin cloth tunic was dirty, bloody, and clinging to her body from her sweat and blood, leaving little to one's imagination.  
  
Donnia glanced down at her shirt and then back up at Aarin. "It was damaged beyond repair and I was forced to leave it behind so that I could get to the source stone."  
  
Forgetting his embarrassment of her in such attire, he quickly looked back to Donnia, disbelief and something else was in his eyes. "Wait. What happened? How long have you been without your armor?"  
  
Donnia closed her eyes for a brief moment before saying, "I found Lady Aribeth. She and Maugrim were not far from the battle raging outside. They had holed up in a building that actually was over the ceremony room with the source stone." She paused a moment here, trying to calm the nerves she felt raging inside her body, but Aarin did not notice. "Aarin, Lady Aribeth is dead. I killed her." She felt the tears forming and did everything she could to prevent them from spilling over. Now was not the time for emotions.  
  
Aarin could only guess how this was affecting her. He knew that it was Aribeth who had taken Donnia in back in Neverwinter, had trained her and helped her in every way when they were searching for a cure for the Wailing Death. "Donnia, it could not have been helped. You know as well as I that Aribeth made her decision long ago. Nothing you could have done could have changed this outcome. Right now, we are winning, and it is all because of you. It is you who have Neverwinter, and ultimately all of the Frozen North and beyond. I know that Aribeth was once someone special to you, but the woman you faced in there was not Aribeth. She left you a long time ago." It was then he noticed the gaping hole in her tunic. He was about to say something when Donnia spoke first.  
  
"It's a little something she left for me. Whatever she did to her weapon caused this and the ruin of my armor. But it is not important now. Morag was defeated, the source stone was destroyed, Maugrim and La...and Aribeth are dead. Neverwinter is as safe as I can make it. Now, if there is nothing else, I must take this news to Lord Nasher."  
  
Aarin said nothing, but told her where to find Lord Nasher. Before she left he called out to her, "Thank you, Donnia."  
  
She said nothing in return, but gave a slight bow and walked out to find Lord Nasher.  
  
* * * * * * * * * "Am I to assume that this rabble with you, was of some assistance to you, Donnia?" Lord Nasher gestured to Tomi.  
  
"Yes, Lord Nasher, he was of great assistance to me. And I ask that in payment of his priceless help to me and to the city of Neverwinter that he be pardoned of his past charges in Calimsham."  
  
Donnia had told Lord Nasher of all that had happened since she had left the castle. She left out any emotions that would have given herself away. She had not cleaned up but instead stood before Lord Nasher covered in the grime of battle, hoping he would see that Tomi looked no different than her when she asked for his pardon.  
  
Tomi had told her of why he was in Neverwinter in the first place. True, he had committed several crimes, but he was different now. Donnia felt that it was important that everyone know how vital he was in the saving of the city. Without him, Donnia knew she would not have survived long.  
  
Lord Nasher looked at the pair of them. They were filthy, bloody, and did smell quite offensively. He also noticed that Tomi was just as dirty as Donnia. Tomi stood there unwavering, waiting to hear his judgment. He stood not in defiance, as was his usual posture, but in acceptance. He was ready to bear whatever Lord Nasher decreed.  
  
It was true that Donnia had saved the city before in finding the cure for the plague, then rescuing from Desther. She had also found the stronghold of the cult behind its release and the power behind that cult and defeated them all. It was obvious to him that she felt her companion deserved some payment equal to that of a hero. Nasher had fully recovered from the Wailing Death and supposed that he had the halfling to thank, at least partially.  
  
"Do you feel that it would be fair payment?"  
  
Donnia met his eyes and without faltering retorted, "It would be a fair payment to all the great things he has done. I could not have survived without him. Unless you can think of anything better to reward him with, I feel that yes, it would be fair payment."  
  
Lord Nasher was not used to people talking to him as this woman was currently doing. He could have her exiled just for her tone alone. "Do you normally talk to royals in such a tone of voice, Donnia Thensbane, or am I to consider myself special?" Donnia started to speak, but quieted at the lift of his hand. "No matter. If you feel it would be fair payment, then yes, Tomi Undergallows, you are hereby pardoned of your past crimes committed within the city of Calimsham. I will send notice to the city of this decree and of your actions here and for this city."  
  
Tomi bowed to him in thanks.  
  
"Furthermore, you will be rewarded in gold for your service to me and to all of Neverwinter."  
  
For the first time since arriving in the castle, Tomi spoke, "I thank you for your pardon, Lord Nasher, and for the offer of gold. However, I feel that the city itself needs it more than I do. As much as I would like to take it from you, I feel that I cannot. So, again, I thank you for the offer, but I will not take it."  
  
Lord Nasher looked at the thief in shock then fought to keep himself from smiling. "As you wish, Tomi Undergallows. I wish you a safe and quick journey back to your home."  
  
Tomi gave a formal bow to Lord Nasher and turned and left the great hall.  
  
"As for you, Donnia Thensbane, this city will forever be in your debt..."  
  
Lord Nasher trailed off as Donnia interrupted him, "Thank you for your kind words, Lord Nasher, but I cannot stay in this city a moment longer, or in your presence." At this Lord Nasher gave her an incredulous look, but said nothing. "My task here is complete and I wish to leave. There are reasons to my wish, but I fear I cannot give them to you. Just know that your city is as safe and whole as is in my power to make it so. I would wish you luck in keeping it that way, but it would be a waste of my words." Donnia pushed on before Nasher could order her exiled. "Do not waste yours either, Lord Nasher, for I am leaving soon. I fear this city will never be what it once was because of what you have done since the outbreak of the Wailing Death. When this city falls from your grasp, maybe you will understand what you have done to this once beautiful city. You killed it in one decree. And it will kill you in time." Donnia bowed to him and turned and left the old ruler stammering at her back in his seat.  
  
Tomi was waiting for her outside the doors to the hall. "I want to thank you for what you did for me."  
  
"Why'd you turn down the money?" Donnia did not want his thanks anymore than she wanted them from Lord Nasher.  
  
A bit surprised at her question, Tomi then looked at her again. Her eyes were shadowed by something he did not fully understand, her body was tensed, as if preparing for attack. Through their shared adventure Tomi had seen her smile only a few times, and wished to have her smile once more. When she did it was as though she forgot everything else for it all just melted away from her features. He hated to see her shrouded in grief. "It wouldn't very much. Hell, I can earn twice as much as that on my way home. Prime-time for caravans into Calimsham."  
  
Donnia appreciated his light-hearted response and manages a slight smile. "Tomi, I can never repay you for what you have done for me. Just know that I will never forget it and that if you should ever need my assistance, I will always help you." In a rare show of strong emotions, Donnia hugged him fiercely. Theirs was a friendship borne out of circumstance but it would not end as their travels together just had.  
  
A surprised Tomi hugged her back. They stayed together like that for several long moments before Donnia pulled away. "Where are you going now?" Tomi asked her.  
  
Donnia looked around at the castle surrounding her. The great stone walls seemed little different than the caverns in the source stone. "To find some new armor."  
  
Tomi grinned up at her. "Wherever you end up, you'll be needed. Someone like you always finds a way to make it work."  
  
"Try to stay out of serious trouble, Tomi. And get back to Calimsham. I'm sure they've missed you." A smile played at the corners of her mouth as she spoke to him.  
  
Tomi said nothing to her, but smiled and walked away, leaving her, the castle, and Neverwinter behind.  
  
Donnia watched him leave and said a silent prayer to whatever deity would hear her. She went out of the castle avoiding Aarin Gend. She did not know exactly where she was going, other than finding new armor, but she knew that there was something out there calling to her, beckoning her to come. She had no choice but to answer it. 


	21. Old Enemies, but Older Friends

Chapter 20  
  
[A/N: If you have not yet played Hordes of the Underdark, or reached Chapter 3, you may want to wait until you have before reading this. It isn't a big spoiler, but more of a shock and surprise. It doesn't matter to me if you have or have not played that chapter yet, but it's kind of fun to leave that surprise to the game, not a story.]  
  
Valen knew something was wrong with Donnia, but at the moment that was the least of his worries. He had been fighting his taint since finding the Seer and knew when it was winning. His blood always seemed to be boiling. True, he always felt some of his more demonic urges no matter the situation, but he was able to control them without acting upon them. The urge to lay waste to everything about him was growing more persistent.  
  
Nathyrra watched Valen. She could sense he was fighting his taint; his tail, which normally swung lightly with his steps, was violently moving back and forth. She hoped he would stay in control. Having fought at his side she never wanted to be on the receiving end of his attack.  
  
The cold never ceased. The wind never stopped howling. The hope kept dwindling. Donnia's heart was fading with each repeated step. Each time she would see an area that they had yet to search they always seemed to find their footsteps from earlier travels in that area. That was the problem with Cania, everything looked different and everything looked the same. The wails of spirits being devoured by Mephistopheles reached every corner of this small piece of hell. Thousands of small fires glowed around those gathered near it.  
  
They kept walking in silence; each caught in their own thoughts, worries, fears, pain.  
  
Donnia, having followed her own footsteps to this point, saw a place where their tracks did not go. Donnia motioned for the other two to follow her, but her hand stopped before it raised from the hilt of her sword. Suddenly the pain in her side became all-consuming and Donnia dropped to her knees in the ice and snow. She had turned the corner and the great dark mouth of the cave loomed before her.  
  
Nathyrra was the first to reach Donnia. "What is it? What happened?"  
  
Valen dropped down to the ground next to her. He said nothing but just watched her. The part of him that had grown to love her wanted to reach out to her, to hold her, to comfort her. The other part of him wanted to reach out and snap her neck, to watch her bleed, to feel the life flow from her body. He shook his head swiftly trying to clear those urges from his mind.  
  
Her breathing was heavily labored, being forced between her clenched teeth. The pain was so horrible it made her dizzy, nauseous, and gave her the resolve to stand back up. It gave her something material to feed on. Her hate for Mephistopheles and her current state were all strong, but this physical pain to her body gave her something to feed on.  
  
Slowly, Donnia got back up to her feet and approached the cave.  
  
A small dark creature loomed outside the mouth of the cave. It had the initial appearance of an odd dog, but the closer Donnia came to it, she saw that it closely resembled nothing she had ever seen before in her life.  
  
As Donnia approached, the small creature ran over to her. It made several noises akin to a whimper and brushed up against her leg. Donnia reached down and stroked its head, surprised at the warmth it exuded against the cold. "Are you the Scrivener?" she asked it.  
  
At the sound of that name, the small creature seemed to become very excited and made different noises.  
  
Taking that for an assent, Donnia nearly wept. "Please, I need your help. I must find the woman who led the people against Mephistopheles."  
  
As she spoke, images came into her mind. Through out their playing in her mind, she sensed a feeling of loss. "Are you looking for these?"  
  
Again, the Scrivener became very excited at Donnia's question. Donnia had no idea how she was to find what the Scrivener was looking for; a boy with his father and an oak tree. She described these images to Nathyrra and Valen.  
  
Nathyrra thought this over for a moment before answering, "Maybe it refers to the pillars all around this area. Each of them has different words or meanings to them."  
  
At this, the Scrivener hopped over to Nathyrra and barked excitedly. Nathyrra grinned and said, "I guess I was right."  
  
The three set off to find the pillar that would represent the pictures Donnia had seen in her mind.  
* * * * * * * * * Donnia walked up to the final pillar. When they had found the correct pillar, new images were transplanted into Donnia's mind. This time the Scrivener became very excited and began carving a name into the ice next to the pillar. After the first three letters were revealed, Donnia knew the name. It was a name that she doubted she would ever forget.  
  
As the Scrivener stepped back from its new carving, both Valen and Nathyrra quickly looked to Donnia, uncertain of what her reaction would be.  
  
Donnia stood staring at the name in disbelief. Shock froze her to the ground. She could see her reflection over the name in the smooth surface of the icy walls. It seemed sort of ironic to her and she chuckled.  
  
The other two simply stared as they heard her laugh. They were not surprised when the laughter turned to tears.  
  
It seemed that Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande would always survive. 


	22. Dark as Night, Bright as Day

Chapter 21  
  
Donnia was pleased with her new armor. It fit her just as well as Grot'yah's had and weighed just as little. The Red Dragon Armor had called to her the moment she had walked into the armory. The man selling it to her explained some of the special abilities that the subdued red metal possessed. It would forever protect her from all forms of fire. Even a dragon's breath could no long hurt her. The armor also allowed her to move more freely, giving her a larger range of motion in her attack and defense.  
  
She bought the armor and a few other supplies before she left off in search of whatever was beckoning her on.  
  
The first night alone came much faster than she expected. Out of habit she nearly called to Tomi to see if he wanted first or second watch. Just as she opened her mouth she realized that Tomi was not there, nor was anyone else who would watch over her while she slept. She did not intend to sleep out in the open, defenseless against any who would wish her harm, death, or broke.  
  
The Iron-Gathyrn Kettle came into sight not long after the sun had set. It was not the greatest thing she had ever seen, but she knew it would be more than enough for the night.  
  
She walked in and most of the people sitting in the tavern looked over to the newcomer. Most all of them were shocked to see a woman walk in without an escort, armor notwithstanding. Silence descended over the small tavern in the inn as Donnia walked in and asked about a room.  
  
The man behind the bar looked her up and down before responding, "A woman would be wise to not travel alone. I ain't responsible for nothing that 'appens to you while you're 'ere."  
  
Donnia said nothing but laid out more than enough gold on the counter to pay for her room and for a little privacy on the side.  
  
At the sound of the gold pieces hitting the bar the man quickly changed his tone, "'Ere's your key. And if there be anything that you be needin' while here, just give ol' Thanniol a call."  
  
Donnia still said nothing, but took the key to her room and walked through the people to get to her room. The room was not large, but was filled with tables, chairs, and people. Most of them were men, but a few of them had women with them. Some of them were what she would expect to see, wearing simple dresses, modestly cut, spending time with their husbands. But some of them were working. She was not so young as to be embarrassed at seeing prostitutes, but she did not like seeing them. She had seen so many them killed by the plague because they could not afford to live without working, even during those hard times  
  
She had just about reached the door when one of the men called out to her, "'Ey! I know you! You're that girl that stopped the plague, ain't you!" The last was more of an accusation than statement or question.  
  
Donnia quickly thought to tell the man that he was wrong, but other people in the inn began to make noises of assent. But hearing it come from someone else, spoken in that way, almost made her feel guilty, like everything she had done was somehow wrong. Before her emotions became observable, she quickly responded, "Yes, I am that woman."  
  
The man looked pleased at her answer. It was then that Donnia noticed he was barely standing, for he was severely drunk. "What took you so long? The city died while you were out there, not caring. My family died because you were too slow. They were only animals. What could have possibly been so hard about it?"  
  
The man continued on, his speech slurring beyond recognition, but Donnia knew what he was saying. When he had calmed she spoke to him, "I can't tell you how sorry I am for your loss. I worked to the best of my ability. Perhaps...perhaps if all of the other students had not been killed then your family might have lived; my family might have lived. Please, is there anything I can do for you? Help you?"  
  
"I don't want your damn charity! I want my family back! For all I care, you can die, bitch." At that the man released a small dagger, throwing straight at Donnia. She did not flinch. She knew the man was drunk, but she still hoped his aim would be true.  
  
It was.  
  
The dagger bounced harmlessly from her armor and fell to the ground. The man stared confused at her and made a move to attack her but Donnia stopped him by saying, "I know how you feel. Truly, I do. But please, do not cause anymore pain, on your part or mine. You don't want to die and I don't want to kill you. Please, just finish your drink, and you'll never see me again."  
  
The man seemed torn. He wanted desperately for someone to pay for the death of his loved one's. When she walked in he immediately recognized her. He had seen her before in the Hall of Justice in Neverwinter. She had returned with another ingredient for the cure while he was standing over his dying wife taking her last breaths.  
  
While he was debating what to do, Donnia walked over to his table and laid down 100 pieces of gold. She said nothing to him, but turned and left the room.  
  
The man sat down and wept for his wife, his son, and himself.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Her sword lay at on the ground well within her reach. Her armor was lain down carefully so as not to mar it's condition. The inn was quiet all around her and yet Donnia could not sleep. She lay in bed staring up into the darkness above her. She willed herself to sleep but knew it probably would not come. She almost did not want it to, she feared her dreams, her nightmares.  
  
She had no idea how much time had passed since her confrontation with the man downstairs. Her thoughts were thick, confused, muffled. Her emotions sought to overtake her, overwhelm her, but she fought them just as fiercely as she would fight a real enemy.  
  
She tried to think of all of the good she had done, that everything she had risked her and Tomi's life for had been worth it, but she always came back to replaying Aribeth's death over and over in her mind. Surely there had to be a different way she could have handled it. Aribeth really was not replaced by the woman who took her form, the woman she had known, trained with, trusted, and loved as a very dear friend had not betrayed her. This was all just a horrible nightmare and she would soon wake up.  
  
Donnia pinched herself to try and wake up, but instead hissed in pain as she pinched harder and harder, before finally giving up. This was real. This was not a dream. She really had killed Aribeth.  
  
Oh gods, Aribeth.  
  
She could no longer stop the tears from falling. The heaving sobs wrenched through her body until she was beyond exhausted and finally allowed sleep to come.  
  
Her eyes opened, she was sure of it, but the darkness still surrounded her on all sides. The only sound was her heart beating in her ears. She knew she was uninjured, as uninjured one can be with a wound the size of a large fist can be, but she had no idea where she was. She was supposed to be in a bed at the inn, but she knew herself to be standing.  
  
Just as she was about to test the ground in front of her to take a step forward a bright searing light poured in from an unknown source and nearly blinded Donnia in its intensity. She reached for her weapon and found it at her side, where she expected it to be, but then remembered it should be laying on the floor next to her bed at the inn, wherever it was.  
  
She stood battle ready, waiting for the attack, but still no sound came to her. She slowly took a step forward, and upon finding the ground firm, walked ahead, cautiously listening for any sound, as slight as it may be to alert her of the presence of an enemy, or a sign of her location.  
  
She had barely moved 20 yards from her starting location before she heard it; a calm voice was speaking to her. She stopped and strained her ears to listen, suddenly wishing she were elvish. But the harder she strained to hear, the harder it became to hear the soft voice. She wanted to call out to it, but was unsure of its intentions so she began walking in the direction of the beckoning voice.  
  
A small form came into sight before her as she continued to walk forward. Wait, it was not small, but sitting, meditating maybe. Donnia approached soundlessly, hoping to catch what the figure was saying, but as she neared, the figure turned to her and stood.  
  
Donnia raised her sword slowly, but the figure, without speaking, asked her to lower her weapon. Slightly discomforted by hearing the request in the silence, Donnia slowly lowered her weapon to her side and continued to move toward the figure.  
  
As she drew closer to it, she noticed that the figure was a tall woman, nearly matching Donnia in her great height. Long white hair seemed even brighter, if it was possible, than the light surrounding them. The woman had dark skin and looked to an elf, but different. She had never before seen an elf with purple skin. Purple skin? Donnia thought herself crazy for a moment. No one had purple skin. But she looked harder still. No, the skin was not purple, but it so dark it seemed to be that odd color.  
  
The woman smiled as Donnia came closer to her. As she began to speak, Donnia stilled her steps. "Donnia Thensbane, tales of your great deeds have already traveled far and wide. Though they would be the first to deny it, the people you have encountered, and those whom you have not, are most grateful for your heroic accomplishments. But now your help is needed once again. Only you can help us."  
  
Donnia looked at the woman as she spoke. The voice was very calming, soothing to her. Eventually Donnia placed her sword in its sheath and walked to the woman so that she stood directly in front of her. "Who are you talking about?"  
  
The woman replied, "You will know us when you find us."  
  
Donnia was becoming very confused, "But where will I find you? If you need help, just tell me how I am to help you and I will do the best I can. However, I somehow doubt that there is anyone else here so where am I to go so that I might help you?"  
  
The woman said nothing but gave Donnia a warm smile before the light faded and Donnia was once again shrouded in absolute darkness.  
  
As Donnia begged her vision to acclimate to the sudden darkness, another voice came to her. This voice shared no similarities with the voice she had just heard from the strange, dark-skinned woman. This voice was hard, cold. It seemed that this voice too was speaking to her, but the closer Donnia listened she realized that the voice was not speaking to her, but to someone else. She was only able to catch a few words but they did not make sense to her.  
  
Just as Donnia was about to begin walking to this voice a great pain came to her chest, almost as though her heart were being ripped out of her chest having been cleaved open by rough spikes. Her breath hitched in her throat and Donnia screamed out in pain as it spread through the rest of her body. She knew she was dying.  
  
Still screaming, Donnia sat straight up in bed clutching her chest. Her breath was coming fast, almost tearing from her lungs. Sweat poured from her face, streamed from her back, drenched her tunic.  
  
Slowly she began to glance around at her surroundings. She was still in her room at the inn. Her sword was still on the floor next to the bed. Her armor was just as she left it. Her belongings sat undisturbed where she had placed them when first entering her room.  
  
Not wanting to go back to sleep again that night, Donnia put on her armor, grabbed her pack and sword, dropping the key at the bar and headed out in the only direction she could, toward that calm voice in her dream. 


	23. Apologies Can Do Miracles

Chapter 22  
  
The three of them stood once more before the opening of the cave. Its dark mouth leered at them, almost laughing as they stood there waiting for the leader to make her move.  
  
Donnia turned to Valen and Nathyrra, "I need to ask you both for a favor before we continue on."  
  
Valen quickly responded, "I will do anything you ask of me, my love."  
  
Nathyrra glanced at the two of them, unsure as what to say having heard Valen's response to Donnia. She decided it best not to say anything and instead just responded to Donnia. "What is it that you require?"  
  
Donnia answered them with something she hoped they would not take offense at her asking, "I need you both to wait here. If it truly is La...if it is Aribeth, then I want to meet her alone."  
  
Nathyrra answered, "If that is what you require, then I shall be waiting here for your return."  
  
Valen slowly measured out his thoughts. It took him longer than normal, having to continually repress half of who he was, to sort out what was really being said. All she was really asking them to do was to wait for her while she met the person who had tried to have her killed, tried to kill her herself, and then left a lasting wound that had never given Donnia a moment's peace in all of those years since that battle. However, he knew that this is what she needed and he could not be the one to say no to her after so long a time.  
  
Donnia watched him as he debated what to do. She just hoped he would understand that this was something she needed to do. She had to face Aribeth alone, there was no other way.  
  
Finally, Valen answered her request. "I will be waiting here for you, Donnia. I know that this is something that you must do and I am not someone who is going to try and stop you." Valen gave Nathyrra a quick look before stepping closer to Donnia. He took her chin softly in his hand, almost willing her to come closer to him so that they were just a breath away from each other. "Be careful, my love." With that he slowly placed his lips over hers, kissing her softly, before letting go.  
  
Donnia smiled at him, thanking him for understanding, before she turned an entered the cave looming up behind her.  
  
Valen watched as she walked into the cave, slowly vanishing from sight as the cave swallowed her. He suppressed a shiver as the image of her disappearing seemed all too permanent. He well remembered the last time he saw her vanish, when she had been summoned once again into the Valsharess's ceremony room. He hoped that this time it would not have the same ending.  
  
The cave was cold, just as cold as the rest of Cania, but thankfully it lacked the harsh biting wind that never seemed to stop blowing. Donnia walked slowly, cautiously so as not to make a sound upon her entrance. She knew that she would be visible, red armor against the bleak, white walls, but she hoped that her silence would give her an advantage.  
  
She walked around the entire perimeter before she found a way to get to the lower portion of the cave. As she neared the back of the cavern she saw the form of someone sitting in front of an extinguished fire. She knew even before her eyes could tell her that it was Aribeth, frozen in place from the harsh cold.  
  
Donnia walked more quickly up to Aribeth's body, now knowing that she need not fear of being heard, and knelt in front of her. Even in death Aribeth was beautiful. However, before she thought on her too long, Donnia rose and wondered how she was supposed to talk to an ice-form. The kindling in front of Aribeth seemed to be the only answer. Hoping it was enough, Donnia took three of their precious velox nettles from her pack and caused them to light a fire.  
  
Almost immediately Aribeth began to thaw and come back to life, such as it was. She quickly stood up before seeing Donnia standing there. Without a second thought Aribeth struck out with her sword.  
  
Donnia was caught completely by surprise by this and the first blow caught her on her side, sending waves of pain radiating throughout her body at having that wound be injured yet again. She tried hard, but could not fully stop a small scream of pain from escaping her lips.  
  
Outside, Valen heard her scream and made like he was going into the cave. Quickly, Nathyrra jumped in front of him, hoping to stop him. "Valen, you promised you would wait here. Do not go back on your word."  
  
Valen said nothing but glared down at the Drow, his eyes quickly becoming tinged in red. "You think you can stop me from entering that cave?" He started as though he were going to move right through her to get inside, but Nathyrra braced her arms against his armor, hoping it would slow him down.  
  
"No, but your own word should."  
  
Slowly, Valen's tail stopped its furious movements, his eyes once again returned to their piercing blue and he watched the mouth of the cave, hoping to see past it to what was happening. He could not let himself think about what could be happening, only let himself hope, and even that could be dangerous.  
  
While Valen fought himself outside the cave, Donnia was pulled back into a battle that ended years ago. She knew every move that Aribeth made. She had fought this once before. With each advance so similar to those all that time ago Donnia could almost feel herself being pulled back to that fight, as though this was the same battle. Her mind began telling her that everything that she thought had happened since then had all been a lie, that she was still stuck fighting Aribeth, trying to save Neverwinter.  
  
A part of her wanted to believe it, that this was still then. Yet, there was another part of her, small but persistent, reminding her of everything that had happened. That all of those things could not be a lie, a part of her imagination trying to escape the inevitable end. She remembered her time in Undrentide, fighting through Undermountain to find Halaster, meeting the Seer, finding an unlikely person to trust in Valen. Having come to him, she held on tight to his image, knowing he was waiting for her outside, and changed her attack, no longer would she be on the defensive.  
  
Aribeth was not prepared for this change, and was not able to stop her when Donnia used a move she had not seen since her training at the Academy. Having Aribeth off balance from her change in tactics, Donnia quickly maneuvered and brought one foot to Aribeth's knee in a hard kick, sending Aribeth at once to the icy floor. In a quick move, Donnia had her sword placed over Aribeth, almost waiting for permission to deliver the death blow.  
  
Aribeth stared up at her, still no recognition on her face, "What are you waiting for? Kill me, let me go from this place. I deserve no better."  
  
This admission from Aribeth nearly caused Donnia to drop her sword. This was not the Aribeth she remembered, from any part of their relationship. She looked down at Aribeth and was shocked she did not notice it earlier. There was no light behind her eyes, no life. There was nothing driving her anymore. "What happened to you?"  
  
Aribeth looked away from Donnia, looking back at the past, "Nothing I didn't deserve. I killed so many people, nearly destroyed the city I once loved. What Tyr did to me was just."  
  
Donnia knew that some of the last nightmares Aribeth had had were of Tyr telling her that choosing her had been a mistake, but those had been placed in her head by Morag. "That was not Tyr, Aribeth. That was Morag, Queen of the Old Ones. But it was so long ago, why are you still stuck there?"  
  
Aribeth looked back to Donnia, "There is nothing else. I tried once here to redeem myself, but I wasn't meant to do anyone any good. It seems all I can ever do is destroy."  
  
Donnia hoped she was doing the right thing. She slowly pulled the sword away from Aribeth and sheathed it. She offered Aribeth her hand.  
  
Aribeth glanced from Donnia's face to her hand for several long moments before taking her hand.  
  
Donnia pulled her to her feet, but still held onto her hand, "You did more good than you realize, Lady Aribeth."  
  
Aribeth quickly looked at Donnia, shock evident on her face. "Lady Aribeth? It's been so long since anyone has called me that."  
  
"It was because of you that Neverwinter survived the plague. Tyr chose you to be a paladin in his service for a reason. Don't be one to tell a god that he is wrong."  
  
Slowly, a look of recognition crossed Aribeth's face. "It can't be you. You...you can't actually be here."  
  
"I am here, Lady Aribeth, and I need your help once more."  
  
A lone tear escaped from Aribeth's eyes, "I'm so sorry, Donnia, for everything."  
  
"There is nothing to apologize for. You did what you were meant to do. But before I ask for your help in my current quest, I have a question for you." Donnia slowly and cautiously removed her breastplate and lifted her tunic high enough for Aribeth to see her wound. "How did you do this?"  
  
At the sight of the wound Aribeth visibly grimaced. "I put a spell on my dagger. It wasn't meant for you, it was for Maugrim. I trust he paid for his crimes?"  
  
"Yes, he did. But I need to know if there is a way to heal this. I can't go on much longer with it like this."  
  
"There is a way. Just give me a moment." Aribeth closed her eyes and concentrated, searching for the right incantation. She placed her hands over the old wound and murmured the words softly. A light glow emanated from her hands, covering her wound. Donnia felt a slight pressure, but there was no pain. Aribeth chanted like this for a few more moments before removing her hands. Without looking down Donnia knew it was gone. The pain had finally stopped.  
  
"Thank you, Lady Aribeth." Donnia looked at her side. The wound was gone, but a scar had taken its place. She did not care, the scar did not hurt. She quickly replaced her breastplate and turned back to Aribeth. "Will you come with me? I need your help."  
  
"Yes, I will go with, my lady." Aribeth gave Donnia a small formal bow. "It is the least I can do for having caused you so much pain."  
  
Donnia gave her a small smile before leading her out of the cave.  
  
Valen was pacing in front of the cave, his tail swinging almost violently with every step. Nathyrra watched him carefully, not wanting to see his piercing red eyes ever again. When Donnia appeared coming out of the cave, Valen rushed over to her immediately, taking her in his arms, "Donnia! Are you okay? Were you injured?"  
  
Donnia stepped back from him, "I am fine, Valen. In fact, I'm even better than before. It healed."  
  
Without her saying specifically what it was, Valen knew that it was her injury from Aribeth. "How is that possible?"  
  
Donnia motioned over her shoulder to someone standing just inside the darkness of the cave. At this request, a tall elf woman stepped forward, coming out from the mouth of the cave. "Valen, Nathyrra, I'd like you to meet Lady Aribeth de Tylmarande." 


	24. Observations

Chapter 23  
  
The Anuroch Desert lay before her, spreading out for endless miles in all directions. The trees standing tall behind her in defiance against the dead landscape in front of her were the only ones within a three days' travel.  
  
Donnia had no idea how she had stumbled across this place, but there it was glaring her in the face.  
  
It had been almost a month since her first encounter with strange woman in her dream. She had seen her, or sometimes just heard her, a couple times since that night. Each time before she woke that other voice was also there, making her want to ignore the calling in her heart to go to wherever she was needed and just let someone else handle it. But there was something inside her telling her that there was no one else, she was it.  
  
This frightened her more than any enemy she had ever faced, including the dragons. She knew then that if she failed for the woman who was calling to her then there was no one else to take up the fight.  
  
Not only had the two voices haunted Donnia's dreams. She still had nightmares about Aribeth. They did not come every night, thank the gods. But they came often enough. Sometimes she would be lucky to wake up before it got too horrible, other times she was not as fortunate. It was those days following those long nights that had her wishing for everything, for nothing.  
  
She wished that her mother had not been killed by that man, that the plague had not come, that she never had the dream of being a member of the city guard. Why did she always have to want more than was possible? Wasn't the life her parents making for her enough? Why did she have to want to become something better, something more?  
  
When she started thinking like this Donnia felt hollow inside. She could hear the tears falling, echoing throughout her mind, but no longer would they fall. She had not shed a tear since that first night she had been alone. Since then she had turned off her emotions, knowing that they would be her downfall.  
  
Donnia took her first step into the sands of the great desert. Immediately she felt the hot sun beating down on her, heating her skin rapidly under her red armor. The sticky sweat flowed freely down her face, streaming down her back. She merely wiped it away as it neared her eyes.  
  
She knew that luck was with her; there was no wind. She knew that if it were windy she could become lost for days, weeks even, struggling to keep moving forward through the raging, blowing sands.  
  
The soft sand muffled her steps, swallowing the sound. She was lucky that she liked tall boots, for her foot did not sink in deep enough to have the sand spilling into them. Her sword, her newly acquired Dagger of Chaos, grew heavy in her grasp. She quickly, but thoroughly scanned the area surrounding as far as her eyes would allow, searching for danger. Seeing none, she put her sword away, welcoming the relief from its heavy weight.  
  
She continued to press on, though her weary body ached with every step. She knew that she had to keep moving or else would not survive the trek through the desert. She only had a limited supply of water in her pack, but she knew that some of her potions would work just as well, and not just in keeping her hydrated; their added magical qualities would make her journey just that much easier.  
  
She walked for hours without seeing any form of life, vegetation or not. She did not know where she was headed, just that she was heading east, thankfully with the sun finally behind her at this point in the day.  
  
Just as the sun settled behind the tall dunes behind her, Donnia spotted the dull glow of a campfire. She wondered who else would be ridiculous enough not to find a way around this infernal desert but instead travel right through its heart. She had no idea whether the camp would contain allies or enemies, but she needed to know before finding a place to make a camp of her own.  
  
She neared the camp, keeping mostly behind tall dunes to hide her approach. She was too weary to draw her greatsword, so instead she removed a short sword from her belt, not wanting to be caught unarmed should the camp be full of thieves, or worse.  
  
She heard laughter coming from nearby, the sound traveling from the unknown camp, and quickly ducked down closer to the ground. Since the outburst at the first inn, Donnia had avoided sleeping in inns, not wanting to see that kind of pain on anyone's face again. Because of her sleeping out in the open, her senses had been refined allowing her to hear even the lightest footsteps in soft ground, see the outline of a being, and know whether they meant her harm or not, and smell her adversaries, long before she ever saw them. Now she could hear small, light footsteps, two pairs of them, coming near. She heard the two of them talking to each other, not caring who could hear them. The conversation seemed to be worried. They had lost someone, and apparently they were important.  
  
"But he left five days ago! If he had found water he should have come back by now."  
  
"Maybe he had more trouble convincing them to let us use it." The last statement coming out more as a question than a reassuring statement of fact.  
  
"Even if he had trouble, you would think that Dorna would have come back, especially if there had been trouble of any other sort."  
  
"Let's just give it two more days, and if neither one has been heard of or seen we'll send out someone to look for them."  
  
The other seemed to be pleased with this conclusion and the conversation switched to something of less a consequence.  
  
Donnia sat there in the sand, still as she could be, wondering what she should do. She knew that if she just strolled up to the campsite she would surely be attacked. She also knew that if she was found squatting here in the sand, hiding, she would also be attacked. She stood slowly and put away her sword, but her decision was made for her before she could a step in either direction.  
  
"Hey! You there! What are you doing?!" a voice called out from the darkness.  
  
Donnia slowly moved her hands away from her weapons hanging from her waist and called out, "My name is Donnia. I'm just traveling through the desert."  
  
This did not seem to matter to the invisible source of the voice, "Traveling to where?"  
  
Great, I don't even know the answer to that one. I don't even know where I am or where I've been, let alone what is in any direction from here. Donnia's thoughts raced through her mind, hoping to find an answer to the question she was asked as well as an answer for her own questions. She said the only thing that made sense, "I don't know. I'm lost."  
  
There was a long pause before the voice came again, "Where are you from then?"  
  
"I'm from Neverwinter," Donnia called back.  
  
There was an even longer pause this time. Donnia was almost wondering what she was supposed to do when the source of the voice came into sight. At first it was nothing but a silhouette against the night, but she was lightened in noticing it was a halfling. Immediately she thought of Tomi, but would not let her mind be distracted in this situation.  
  
Donnia chanced speaking again, "I heard from some of the members of your camp that you lost someone. Perhaps I could help you."  
  
While she had been speaking the small figure had come even closer and now she could fully study him. He was short, even compared against other halflings, but stood with an air of importance that overshadowed his insubstantial height. His hair was a sandy brown, falling in front of his sharp blue eyes. He held a dagger in each hand, but the grip was slightly relaxed. "Yes, we have lost someone. Someone rather important too."  
  
"Would you allow me to help you? I might be able to find them, or find why they have been gone for so long."  
  
"How much?" the short man asked.  
  
Donnia was confused for a moment before replying, "Nothing."  
  
This seemed to throw the man off balance for a moment. He had not been prepared for her benevolent response. He studied her in the long silence, taking in everything, from the brightest red hair he had ever beheld sticking to her head in sweat to the way she stood, weary from traveling for a long time in the withering heat of the great desert. He saw her weapons hanging at her side, also noting that her hands had never strayed near them during the entire time they had spoken. He wondered if it was from inexperience or from trust. Judging by the quality of the weapons themselves and the armor that must have been truly heavy he guessed it to be the latter of the two. "If you are willing to do it for no gold, then who am I to stop you?"  
  
Donnia smiled at him, "Okay then. You know my name, but what is yours?"  
  
"Torias. Come, let me introduce you around to the rest of the little caravan here."  
  
Donnia followed behind him into the heart of the halfling caravan, several of its members coming out at the sound of a stranger's voice. "Hey everyone! I found some help for us to find Telwern and Dorna."  
  
Donnia counted about 15 halflings gathered around her and Torias plus a human man, who truly seemed out of place, but also appeared to know what he was about. He strode forward to meet Donnia. "Hello, my name is Mori, I'm the guide for them through the desert. Who are you?"  
  
Donnia was suddenly very appreciative of her great height though she still had to look up at him. "My name is Donnia. I'm lost, but I'm originally from Neverwinter."  
  
Hearing the name of the city, the guide looked at her strangely, "You really are lost then, Donnia. That's a good two months away from here by foot."  
  
Two months? She thought she had only been gone one. Apparently traveling through time backwards 10,000 years alters your perception of time slightly.  
  
Mori noticed the look of shock that passed across her face at the mention of the two months worth of travel. He was growing more and more curious of their new-found help. "Where are you headed?"  
  
Donnia shook herself from her thoughts on trying to figure out how much time had truly passed since leaving Lord Nasher stammering in her wake to answer him, "That is kind of a long story."  
  
"Well, we have plenty of time left in this night. You need to rest. You look like you are about to fall over and the only thing that is holding you up is sheer will and determination not to fall over at my feet. I'll set you up so that you can get cleaned up and refreshed. I would love to hear you story."  
  
"I would greatly appreciate the opportunity to clean my equipment, thank you."  
  
Mori nodded at her and led her toward one of the wagons that surrounded the small fire.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Alone in the wagon, Donnia quickly took in her surroundings. She noted every crevice, every plank of wood, everything. She did it without even knowing she had. Every night before sleep she would memorize the landscape should an attack come in the night. Even now with several others around her she did it on instinct.  
  
She pulled her greatsword from its sheath and carefully places it on the floor. She untied the belt that held her short sword and several throwing daggers and laid it next to the sword. She removed her armor, treating it with the care one would with fine crystal glass. Free from the substantial weight of her armor, Donnia breathed in deeply, enjoying the feel of freedom her body felt for the first time in as long as she could remember.  
  
She stretched her arms high over her head, sighing with the new feeling of liberation in her body. She kicked off her boots and pushed them out of the way with her foot. As she strode across the small room she took of her leather padding she wore on her legs under her armor and the light cotton tunic. She reached the large basin of water and noticed a mirror hanging behind it. It had been quite some time since she had seen her own reflection and she was startled at her own appearance.  
  
Her red hair hung loose over her shoulders and reached nearly to her waist. She knew that she would have to chop it off or it would cause her sever problems soon. Her once bright green eyes reflected dully back at her from the mirror. Her fair-complected skin was covered in grime, blood, and streaked with sweat. Her body bore the scars of a warrior, old bruises shone in various stages of healing. They ranged from bright purple to a dull yellow. She probed most of them with her finger, sharply inhaling breath through her teeth as she ranged over the newer ones.  
  
The scars...each one a memory, a flashback. She traced them lightly with her hand, taken back to when each was put onto her body. She tried counting them, just for curiosity's sake, but gave up. What was the point in only knowing the ones that she herself could see? She knew just as many scars graces her skin on her back as did on the rest of her body that she could see.  
  
She looked down at her hands. They too bore scars just like the rest of her body. Calluses stood out at the base of each finger and in the palm from her sword. She remembered well when the blisters had finally healed and were replaced by the tougher skin. That morning she had been able to pick up her sword without pain. She knew that she should wear gloves, but she felt that she needed the physical contact between her skin and her weapon. That only when one touched the other was she ever in control.  
  
She dropped her gaze from her body's reflection in the long mirror, from her hands before her and climbed into the water before it got much cooler.  
  
She sighed in thankful appreciation as she slid into the water. She could already feel some of the tension leaving her body as she relaxed against the back of the basin. She lay just like that for several minutes before moving to scrape the grime and dirt from her body. Her mother had taught her how to make soap, something she was always thankful she knew how to do; sometimes water just wouldn't rinse blood from her body. The suds slid over skin, removing the last bit of her hard journey from her body.  
  
Donnia reached over and removed her short sword from her belt. Taking a large handful of hair she quickly sliced through it, leaving it at a length just below her shoulders. She did the same with the rest of her hair, enjoying being free from its weight as well.  
  
She ducked her head under the water to rinse the soap from her face and hair before climbing out of the basin. She stood there shivering for a moment, looking for something to dry off with. She found nothing except an extra tunic in her pack.  
  
Dried and dressed once again in her newly rinsed out tunic and leather padded pants she stepped back out of the wagon where Mori was waiting for her.  
  
He led her to the fire where a few of the halflings were gathered, talking amongst themselves. As the two of them sat down they all became quiet.  
  
Mori was the first to speak, "You said you had a long story? We would be honored to hear it if you would share it with us."  
  
Donnia sat down and stretched out her long legs to warm them by the fire. She took a moment to decide where to start. She looked around the fire, at all of the waiting faces. "I guess the best place to start would be back at the beginning."  
  
Donnia told them everything, from the death of her mother to the strange woman in her dreams. As she spoke she threaded her fingers through her hair, allowing it to dry faster and warm her.  
  
As she finished each person around the fire could barely take their gaze from her. They were enraptured by her, her tale, and everything that had happened to the woman to bring her to them.  
  
Again Mori was the first to speak, "Thank you for feeling comfortable enough with us to share your story. But now you must be exhausted. Come, I'll find you a place to sleep." 


	25. Old Faces, Old Memories, Constant Pain

Chapter 24  
  
No one said anything for several long moments. No one really knew what to say. The silence continued though each person standing there wanted someone to say something, anything, just to get things moving again. Even if they could not believe it, the wind picked up in intensity and the cold dug further into their bodies.  
  
Seeing the betrayer in front of him, Valen had to physically force himself not to do something he would regret. From what Donnia had told him she was not to be trusted, was not to be given the chance to ruin their chances of survival, and the survival of everyone back in the Underdark and the whole of Toril. And yet, it was Donnia who had brought her out to them; brought her to help. Valen could feel his blood begin to boil, his eyes becoming more red with each passing moment, his heart pounding furiously knowing the history between her and Aribeth and knowing himself to be powerless against what had happened, but wanting to change it with every part of his being.  
  
Despite this, Donnia seemed pleased that Aribeth was there. So, he did what he thought was necessary. "Why don't we find some place out of the wind so we can...talk." He looked to Donnia and gestured for her to lead the way. Aribeth went to her side. Nathyrra quickly glanced over to Valen before following them. Valen walked several paces behind them, watching, waiting for whatever would happen next.  
  
Still no one spoke as they walked back to the tavern. Valen used this time to better observe Aribeth. She walked like a warrior, though her shoulders did seem to sag slightly. He wondered if it was from death or from responsibility. He noticed that she nearly matched Donnia in height, coming to her nose when she stood tall. The reflection of the armor she wore at her death seemed to be of the highest quality, shining even in its nonexistence. She carried nothing but a long sword hanging from her side. Her long brown hair was stuck behind her pointed ears removing any doubt that she was of elven blood.  
  
From his observations of her...physical form he guessed her to be quite skilled in both battle and in serving whichever god had called her to their service. She carried no scrolls, no books, nor did she even carry a pack to store them in. He was just about to ask her about the lack of her spell casting materials, or better yet, the lack of them when he heard Donnia say something quietly to herself.  
  
"I wonder what that is," Donnia murmured, gesturing a large crystalline form protruding up from the hard ice. She walked over to it slowly at first, then guessing that it would not do her any harm, jogged up to it and peered in.  
  
Immediately she felt nothing but the pull from the crystal. Even the cold dropped away as she began to see colors forming into shapes inside the crystal. As the scene came into focus she recognized Zorvak Mur, the village outside the illithid stronghold. She also noticed the bodies of those she, Valen, and Nathyrra had killed in their attempts to break the allegiance between the illithid and the Valsharess. Almost without warning there was a great burst of flame and an all too familiar figure came through one of the portals. Mephistopheles had grown in strength since killing them. He stood tall over the carnage before him. Donnia could tell he was casting a spell, seeing his mouth move, forming words. The hope she had been building that maybe he would be alone in his conquest was destroyed as the corpses rose to life and began following him. She knew then that any time that they wasted now was going to be the death of everyone they all knew and loved.  
  
As quickly as the image came, it disappeared. Slowly, Donnia pulled away from the crystal and looked around to the faces looking at her intently. The flakes of snow were blowing chaotically all around them, clinging to their hair, freezing to their armor. Donnia knew that they were it; there was no one else that could help them. "We have to hurry."  
  
No one said anything else as they rushed forward into the tavern. All three of them were very curious as to what Donnia had seen in the crystal. They had stood there, transfixed on her form, as she peered into the crystal. They had heard her breath catch and saw her hands tremble once, wondering what could cause her to worry so. But no one asked, each knowing her well enough that she would tell them when she thought it necessary and important.  
  
The tavern was still full of different species of mine workers. Some were in small groups talking about the injustice of everything, some were joking with each other, and there were those who sat alone, staring off into space. The spirits stood in many of the same groups, but each of them had a worried look etched into their face, wondering when they would be devoured into Mephistopheles' cause.  
  
The four of them moved to a table in a corner so as not to be disturbed by any of the other patrons. Donnia sat first, pointing Aribeth to the place across from her, Valen sat next to Donnia, and Nathyrra joined Aribeth on the opposite side of the table.  
  
Looking straight at Aribeth, Donnia began speaking, "Did you come here immediately after...after I killed you?"  
  
The question seemed to pain them both, both the asking of it and its answering. Aribeth thought a moment before answering, "I think so. When I first got here, most of that is blocked from my mind. I know I wandered for a while before coming to rest near a fire. It was there that I learned of Mephistopheles and what he was doing. At first I didn't care. I didn't care about anything actually. I was more upset that Maugrim had betrayed his word to me. It hadn't yet occurred to me what I had left behind; the mess I had left for you to clean up. The warmer I got by that fire, the more I remembered. At first, there were just pieces of memories, vague emotions in my mind. Eventually they formed into the events that they were, and I remembered." A small tear began forming in her eye as she looked to Donnia, "I remembered Fenthick and what I had done in his name, and then I remembered that I never loved him. My planned marriage to him seemed logical, not because I loved him."  
  
Aribeth stopped for a moment and Nathyrra spoke up, "I don't mean to interrupt, but why is whether or not you loved him important?"  
  
Before Aribeth could answer, Donnia replied looking at Aribeth as she spoke, "Because everything you did was for what had happened to him. All of the death, pain, betrayal was because of your love for him. So if you didn't love him there was no reason for the destruction you caused."  
  
Aribeth gave a half smile to her answer, "That about sums it all up. When I realized this sitting next to that fire, I was glad I was dead. For if I hadn't been, I would have made it so then. I knew that what had happened to me was what I deserved, maybe even better than what I deserved to suffer. I remembered fighting you, wanting your blood to spill on the floor at my feet. For all of the time that I knew you before you never once seemed emotionally involved. I'm sure you were, but you never let your emotions rule your actions. You never seemed to doubt what you were doing and why you were doing it. And you never lost. I began hating you for you still served Nasher and Neverwinter. And I partially blamed you for what happened to Fenthick. Somewhere I always knew that you had nothing to do with it. But I wanted to blame you. I knew that you were an easier target to accuse than Lord Nasher himself. So I planned for they day when we would once again meet. I planned out how many different ways I could kill you, make you suffer just as I had suffered. I wanted to hold your heart in my hands and crush it before your dying eyes as I thought you had done to my own heart. I wanted you to beg for your life. But most of all I wanted you to lose. It seemed that that would be the way to have you suffer most; to lose. And I wanted you to see it when it happened. I wanted you to watch, powerless to stop it, as Maugrim and I released Morag to once again rule the North. I wanted your life not worth living, just as mine had become."  
  
Through all of this Donnia had sat motionless staring into Aribeth's eyes. She had no idea how long ago that fight had been. She guessed it around ten years, but it could have been 5 months ago for all she knew. All of that time she had been haunted by Aribeth and all of the different ways she could have handled that last meeting. It all seemed to be wasted time having heard what Aribeth had just said.  
  
Before Donnia had the chance to say anything, Aribeth spoke up again, "Only when I remembered that did I take up the fight against Mephistopheles. I thought that if I could defeat him I would be forgiven of everything that I had done. So, I rebelled against him. I was able to get some support, but when it came down to it, they were too afraid to stand with me. By the time I faced him I had been able to put all of my own memories into a distorted image of what they were. I thought that they had happened so that I would have the chance to save these people when I hadn't had the chance to save those in Neverwinter. I made them seem as though they were a good thing, that they could give me power and strength. But Mephistopheles knew that and he used it against me. He brought out every last memory I had of ever serving Neverwinter and helping you and made me look at it for what it was. He made me see that everything I had touched died because of my interference. He made me believe that the world would have been better, that the plague never would have even happened if I had never been. I ran from there in tears. When I found that cave, I just sat down and let the cold win. I never felt it as I sat there frozen. I embraced it for it was nothing less than I deserved."  
  
Donnia murmured, "So that's how he knew."  
  
Valen looked away from Aribeth to see what Donnia was referring to, "So that's who knew what?"  
  
Donnia stared intently at the table, playing through her meeting with Mephistopheles in her mind. "Mephistopheles. That's how he knew so much about me. That's how he found me; why he made his relic, because of what Lady Aribeth remembered."  
  
Aribeth sat there horrified. "He was right then. Everything I touch dies."  
  
"No. I just wondered how he would have found me out of everyone else there was in Plane of Shadows. Now I know."  
  
"But this has caused you pain, I hurt you again, didn't I?"  
  
Donnia did not have to say anything for Aribeth to know the answer. "It doesn't matter. Now there is something more pressing I need to know. Do you know anything of the Sleeping Man and the Five-Fold Mystery?"  
  
Aribeth knew that what she had said to Mephistopheles and her memories were somehow to blame for something, that they more than mattered, but she would wait until later to bring it back up. "Yes, I know of the Sleeping Man. I went to him not long after my memories started coming back to me. I thought that maybe he could help. What is it that you need to know about him?"  
  
"I need to know what the Knower of Places said when he found her."  
  
"I'll never forget it. It is written next to his sleeping form. 'She will find you by the gates of Cania'. It seemed so vague, and yet so specific to me, sitting there listening to the sounds of his deep breathing as he dreamed of his true love."  
  
Just as Donnia finished writing down the answer in her journal, she jumped out of the chair and started to head for the door, when she turned right into someone standing behind her. The tall form had great silver wings and horns. She guessed him to be Arden Swift, someone she had heard a great many things about, and none of them were nice.  
  
"Are you Arden Swift?"  
  
The man seemed pleased that he was recognized, "Yes, I am. Can I be of some service to you?"  
  
"Yes, I'm told you can be. How did you try to wake the Sleeping Man?"  
  
"What is it with you people and this damned Sleeping Man? Between the pilgrims and the sensei I've had it up to here with the stupid being." Swift then went into the story of how he had attempted to wake the Sleeping Man with a great trumpet that could shake the very foundation of a great building into dust. "I didn't mean any harm, really, just wanted to have some fun."  
  
"Well, could I have that trumpet?"  
  
Swift narrowed his eyes at Donnia's request, "How much is it worth to you?"  
  
"More than you could ever comprehend, but how much do you think it is worth?"  
  
Valen stepped forward, "Donnia, I would be careful around him. You don't know what he's capable of."  
  
"No, but after all of this I'm not about to let some jester stand between me and home. So, what do you want from me?"  
  
Swift seemed to be thinking it over, "I don't think you own anything valuable enough to pay for it. It nearly cost me my life to get it, and I don't think you deserve it."  
  
Donnia didn't want to get into a petty argument about the worth of his life, but couldn't stop herself from playing right into his hand, "And what, exactly, is your life worth?"  
  
Nathyrra began to grow worried, Donnia's green eyes seemed to glow brighter than ever before, and she never could remember Donnia ever being petty.  
  
"More than you could ever comprehend I'm sure."  
  
"So what is stopping me from making you fight for your life to keep it again?"  
  
At the hidden threat, Swift's wings seemed to puff up to nearly twice their size. "You speak bigger than you can act, little girl."  
  
Donnia clenched her jaw tightly at the last comment. She had no idea why she was acting as she was, but for some reason, she wanted his blood, and she wanted it immediately, "So let's turn the question around, how much do you want for your life to be spared?" She removed her sword from its resting place at her side and held it so that Swift could appreciate it in its entire fiery splendor.  
  
Valen too was becoming worried about what Donnia was up to. He thought he knew her pretty well, despite the short time they had been together, and he never thought she would act like this. It was entirely out of character for her, and he just hoped that she would not get hurt.  
  
"Come on, little bitch, what are you going to do?"  
  
It was then the memory clicked into place. Suddenly she was eight years old again, clinging tightly to her wooden practice sword looking up at the man who had just killed her mother. Now she understood why he seemed so misshapen under his cloak. His wings would have caused his cloak to sit in a funny way, and she remembered the hood falling back slightly as she hit him.  
  
She raised her sword, much in the way an eight-year-old girl would and Swift remembered too, but he was too late. During her years of adventuring and traveling she had become faster than any other she had ever encountered at sword fighting. Now she called upon it instinctually. Before Swift had so much as moved into any defensive posture, Donnia swung her sword with all of her strength.  
  
Too late, Valen reached out to stop her, but only stared at her, the blood dripping from her sword, and down at Swift's head as it rolled to a stop at Donnia's feet.  
  
When Donnia looked over at him, he stood still from shock. The pain etched into her face, the tears in her eyes, and her face itself looked just like a little girl of about eight years old. When she spoke, it chilled him to the bone, despite his demonic blood, "Is Mommy okay?" She sounded like the little girl he imagined her to be from her stories.  
  
Without even having to look to Nathyrra, she walked up to Swift's body and took the trumpet and whatever else of value he had so that Valen could deal with Donnia.  
  
Donnia stood there, looking at him with those hauntingly young eyes full of trust, full of hope, but also full on knowledge. Valen reached out to her, "No, Donnia, she's not."  
  
She stepped forward into his arms and he held her again while she cried for mother. The sobs much like those from earlier in their adventure, but the image held true; they sounded just like a young girl's cry, a young girl who has had already seen too much suffering.  
  
Valen looked around at the other people in the tavern, most were avoiding looking over at them, but others did not hide their curiosity as well. He tried to urge Donnia to walk to the door, but her legs couldn't carry her. Nathyrra and Aribeth had both already left and were waiting for them outside. Donnia's sobs had not quieted, so he did the only thing left to do, he braced one arm under her legs and the other under her back and carried her outside with her clinging to his shoulder, crying for herself, the eight-year-old girl who saw her mother murdered and her murderer's spirit form so many years later.  
  
Despite having fought his demonic blood most of the time they had been in Cania, he found it no trouble now. His humanity was in full control as he carried her out of the tavern. His heart broke with each sob she cried. He wished that there was something he could do, but also knew there was nothing left; Donnia had taken care of it herself.  
  
He walked around to the back of the entrance of the tavern where the wind was less severe, the cold less brutal and sat down, Donnia still clinging to him. Nathyrra and Aribeth followed not long after and sat with them out of the wind.  
  
Valen said nothing but just held her much as he had before. He knew that they needed to hurry, but they could rest for this little while as Donnia wept only for the second time in her life for her mother.  
  
The wind blew calmly around them behind the entrance, swirling their hair, lightly guiding the small flakes of snow around them in a dance. Their joyous movements seemed out of place in the harsh cold city, moving to the sounds of heartbreak. 


	26. I've got to breathe!

Chapter 25  
  
Apparently Telwern Starum and his companion Dorna Trapspringer had been traveling with the band of halflings through the Anuroch Desert on orders from one only known as Drogan. They were in charge of something called a mythall crystal. They had walked off looking for something called Undrentide, an ancient city that was also being sought out by someone else, someone of great power.  
  
Donnia bid good-bye to the halflings and to Mori early in the morning heading off if the same direction the other two had taken, promising to return soon if she found something, but also saying that if there was trouble, she would find its source before coming back.  
  
With the bath and a full night of rest behind her, Donnia found the day's travel much easier than the day before. She had not ventured far into the day before coming across a small settlement of people. She went through asking if any of them had noticed two other strangers coming through within the previous few days, one a male elf, the other a female dwarf, she was constantly directed to the main building in the settlement, which was a temple to Ao.  
  
She walked up to the temple, an impressive sight against such a barren landscape. The building itself was not very tall, but looked enormous compared to the small tents set up around it. The stone was well weathered, speaking to the fact that it had been there for quite some time. The entrance was just a small wooden door, but it was very intricately carved with various designs and wording in a language she did not recognize.  
  
The inside of the temple was all but deserted save for three people, one of whom she imagined to be a priest. If she wanted information, that would be the place to start.  
  
As she approached him, he looked up at her and smiled, "What can I do for you, child?"  
  
"I'm looking for friends of mine; perhaps you've seen them?" Donnia was hoping he would know at least something; she was not fond of wandering the desert lost until it claimed her for its own.  
  
"What did your friends looks like?" His voice was very calming, relaxing her ever more each time he spoke.  
  
Donnia tried hard to remember how Mori had described them, "There were two of them. One is an elf man with brown hair. He's slightly taller than I am. His companion is a female dwarf. She too has brown hair. Do you remember anyone like that coming through your settlement in the past few days?"  
  
"Yes, as a matter of fact they were just through here two days ago. I can't quite recall what they were looking for, but they seemed to be in a dire hurry to find it and then leave once they had. I believe I remember one of them mentioning the name Heurodis. Does that mean anything to you?"  
  
Donnia searched through every memory she could reach, but the name meant nothing to her as well. "I don't believe so. But I too must hurry. I fear that they may have met some trouble. Do you know what direction they headed when they left here?"  
  
The priest took her to the door and pointed to a large canyon about 500 yards away from the settlement, "They went through there at a pretty fast pace, even for a dwarf. Is there anything else you need, my child?"  
  
"No, thank you. You have been a great help to me, is there anything I can do to repay you for your help?"  
  
The priest smiled at her, "Just get to your friends, my child."  
  
Donnia smiled in return and bid him farewell. As she left the building she dropped a bag of gold coins on one of the tables.  
  
The priest went to call after her, but Donnia turned and smiled again, "I have more gold than I will ever need or use. I know you'll put it to good use." With that, she walked for the canyon looming ahead.  
  
Despite the blazing midday sun, the canyon was dark, the great walls casting their shadows on the ground. There was no sound save for Donnia's silent breathing and her muffled footsteps in the sand. She tried listening harder for any sounds, but knew that the sand would swallow every sound like the much needed water it craved.  
  
She approached a turn in the canyon walls and pressed herself close to the wall. She hoped that no one had heard her coming and were waiting for her on the other side. She stood there with her sword at the ready, all her sense working on overload to try and see what might be around that vital corner in the canyon.  
  
Donnia figured she knew as much as she was going to just standing there listening to her own heart beating, and turned the corner braced for the oncoming ambush.  
  
No one was there. The canyon spread out before her, widening from the narrow walking path she had just turned from. She saw a few standing stones...those weren't standing stones. Just as she walked closer to one to get a better look at it she heard a voice.  
  
Donnia whirled around to see a small dwarf woman running toward her. She assumed it to be Dorna but she wanted to be entirely sure before she lowered her weapon. She called out to the rapidly approaching dwarf, "Are you Dorna?"  
  
The dwarf woman slowed at the name, "I am, but that's not important right now. Who are you? But even that's not important. You have to hurry and get away from here. She's coming and boy is she pissed!"  
  
"Wait a minute! Slow down. Who's coming?"  
  
"Heurodis. She already got Telwern and I'm not about to become a fixture in this place." She started to run again, but Donnia stopped her.  
  
"What are you talking about?"  
  
Dorna looked up at her questioningly, "You mean, you don't know?"  
  
"Know what?"  
  
"Just look around you; you'll get it quick enough."  
  
"Just wait here a moment, don't run off." Donnia turned to look back the stone she had been looking at before. The closer she got the better she was able to see that carving on it. It looked like a statue; a statue of a man with his arms raised trying to defend himself from an unseen foe. She turned back to Dorna, "They're just statues."  
  
"They're not 'just' anything."  
  
Donnia puzzled over that for a moment before she realized what was being said, but it was too late. Dorna shoved something over Donnia's head, a shining crystal that now hung from her neck, just as a hooded form appeared from almost out of thin air.  
  
Donnia went to step forward but found herself frozen in place. She could not move at all. What kind of spell was this? she wondered.  
  
Dorna stood with her, but Donnia knew her to be scared, she was too. The hooded figure came and stood before the two of them and spoke, "Little dwarf, you only postpone the inevitable, but since you have done this, it only seems fair to add the two of you to my collection before you cause me more trouble than you're worth." With that, the figure reached up and removed the hood. Donnia would have gasped in horror, shock, fear, anything, but she could not. Snakes seemed to be sprouting right out from the woman's head, her eyes were glowing a strange yellow, and Donnia felt herself slowly turning to stone.  
  
The strangest thing was that she could still see, could still hear, could still think. The medusa spoke again, "I see that you have been pulled into this. You have something of mine. But I shall remedy that now. Just know that you were involved in the greatest uprising this world has ever seen and will ever see again. I hope you enjoy the view, because you won't be able to do a thing about it." The medusa took the crystal in her hands and ripped from Donnia's neck and walked away. She could only guess that Dorna too was in the same condition she was.  
  
Failure. Donnia had failed. She was to find Telwern and Dorna, but had come too late for Telwern and probably too soon for Dorna. Now they were to stay here as statues frozen in time for the rest of time.  
  
She hoped that Mori would not send anyone after her. She did not want anyone else to pay like this just because she had failed in her task.  
  
The tears wanted to come, but not only could she not cry Donnia willed them back. She just didn't have the strength to. Within the hour Donnia was welcoming the eternity before her. Her heart just stopped caring. She did not want to anguish over nothing that she could change for the rest of time so she just stopped feeling. She gazed out over the land before her and began counting the grains of sand as they blew past her stone face.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
Time passed. Days came. Days went. The dunes were ever shifting before her eyes. It rained once.  
  
Donnia had lost all concept of time. As far as she knew she had been standing there frozen forever and would continue to do so for the rest of forever.  
  
She wondered occasionally what Dorna would be thinking about. Did she have any family? Was there anyone out there who would miss her if she were to never return? How had she gotten mixed up in all of this to begin with?  
  
The clouds rolled by overhead in the bright blue sky that Donnia stared at endlessly.  
  
The worst part of being frozen was that Donnia had nothing but time to remember, and she remembered everything. This time though, she saw everything from an objective point of view, like a silent observer. Her life played through her mind. The people she had known came and went as did the days.  
  
These memories no longer seemed important. They were almost like reading a book about a person she cared nothing for.  
  
Before long, she ran out of memories. She began counting again.  
  
* * * * * * * * *  
  
She slept. She did not know for how long, but she knew she was sleeping for she had had this dream many times.  
  
The same dark-skinned woman with the glowing white hair stood before her again. "Donnia, why have you given up hope?"  
  
"There is nothing left to hope for. I have let them all down. I have no idea what kind of things that medusa is up to, what terror she may be causing. It is all my fault. It is better to turn off hope than drown in its falseness. There is nothing that can change what condition I am in, so I have resigned myself to an eternity or eternities of counting the grains of sand." Her voice was dull and lifeless. It carried little distance in the vastness of wherever she was. She cared not. Whatever this woman needed her help for she was just going to have to find someone else. She was busy.  
  
Donnia almost laughed but the woman spoke again in her soothing voice, "There is no one else. You are our only hope. You give up hope, we lose it too."  
  
"Then you'll have to find someone else. I can't help you. I doubt that I ever could have in the first place."  
  
The woman's face saddened, "Do not give up hope. Someone is waiting for you. Without you, they will lose and so will you."  
  
Donnia was surprised at what the woman had said, "Who is waiting for me? Why do they need my help? I would probably just make it worse anyway."  
  
"Please, have hope. It will feed you. It will free you."  
  
Again, just as before, Donnia wanted to say more, to ask more, but the light faded and was replaced by the utter darkness that came just before she woke each time with this dream. The cold laugh filled every sense, every part of her. It seemed to be choking her, killing her. She wanted to give in to it this time. It would be so easy to just stop fighting it and embrace what was to come.  
  
Somewhere deep in this dark place she heard someone calling out to her; a voice she recognized, but could not quite identify. She followed its sound, trying to block out the harsh laughter coming from all around her.  
  
The other voice was growing stronger and louder. Just as the darkness had come, it disappeared. Donnia was left staring at herself.  
  
"You can't give up hope. You've done too much. If you give up hope, I die, and that means you do too."  
  
"That doesn't make any sense. You've done nothing for me but make it all worse. If you die then it will just make this a lot easier on both of us."  
  
"You don't get it still. I've never left you. I've never abandoned you. I've bled for you, and still you won't listen. I've been screaming for you, but you can't hear me."  
  
"I blocked you on purpose. You nearly broke me, and that won't happen again."  
  
"No. I won't let you. I'm going to keep screaming at you until you hear me."  
  
"I've blocked you before, and I can do it again."  
  
"Sorry, but you're wrong. Now that we've spoken, you won't be able to get away from me. And until you breathe, I'm going to keep screaming. But our time is short, wake up."  
  
Slowly she faded, and Donnia was left staring at empty space that had just been occupied by herself.  
  
She opened her eyes. The landscape was the same. The dunes had shifted slightly, but the canyon still loomed before her as it ever did. Donnia was ready to start counting again in the silence of her mind, but it was not silent anymore. A small voice could be heard...  
  
["Going Under" – Evanescence (obviously I don't own these lyrics...)]  
  
"Now I will tell you what I've done for you fifty thousand tears I've cried Screaming, deceiving, and bleeding for you and you still won't hear me Going under!"  
  
Donnia shot back to the voice,  
  
"Don't want your hand this time I'll save myself!"  
  
It grew a little louder in reply,  
  
"Maybe I'll wake up for once now tormented daily, defeated by you just when I thought I'd reached the bottom. I dive again! I'm going under! Drowning you! I'm falling forever! I've got to break through! I'm going under!"  
  
Donnia called back louder,  
  
"Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies so I don't know what's real and what's lies. Always confusing the thoughts in my head so I can't trust myself anymore!"  
  
The voice grew stronger, more powerful,  
  
"I'm going under! Drowning you! I'm falling forever! I've got to break through! So go on and scream scream at me so far away I won't be broken again!"  
  
Donnia screamed inside her head,  
  
"I've got to breathe I can't keep going under!"  
  
The scream came from her lips, her real lips. She opened her eyes again, but the scenery had changed. She had no idea where she was or how long she had been fighting with herself. At last the precious air entered her body that had been yearning for it for so long.  
  
Donnia stood still for a moment, trying to understand where she was, but she could not stay still for long. Her body ached to move and when she tried to, she could feel her arms moving; slowly and painfully, but they were moving. She slowly worked her arms back and forth, breaking the hold of the stone on her flesh, remembering to breathe, to hold on to her hope.  
  
Just when she did not think she could take the pain any longer her arms broke free from their hold. The sudden free movement caught the rest of her body by surprise and she fell forward, barely able to brace her body with her arms against the stone floor.  
  
She rolled over on to her back and stared up at the stone ceiling, breathing, just breathing. She lay like that for several moments before she realized that the fall had broken the stone on her legs and they too were free to move.  
  
Slowly, Donnia stood up, almost as though for the first time. She allowed herself to catch her balance before setting off to find out where she was and to find Dorna. A determined smile found its way to her lips for the first time in years, at least in the 10 years she had spent as a statue gazing into the horizon. 


	27. One Step Closer

Chapter 26  
  
It was so dark, darker even then the deepest reaches of the Underdark. She felt nothing, heard nothing, saw nothing, remembered nothing. Slowly, she started to panic, but the energy was wasted; why should she panic? There was nothing there to worry her.  
  
Eventually there was a great bright blur instead of a dark one. But with her refound sight came the memories, but they were by no means recent.  
  
Oh god, it's all been a dream, Donnia thought to herself. I'm still a damn statue, that's why I can't move. Everything has just been a dream. The unexplained immense sadness overcame her at the thought that she had just made up everything, from her travels to Waterdeep to the love she felt for Valen. But they don't exist, she chided herself, how can you be sad over losing something you never had?  
  
Slowly, recognition took over. This was the same brightness she always experienced in her dream. She had no idea why she was having it now. There was nothing out there that needed her. She had been standing watch over the Anuroch Desert for countless years already and apparently was going to do so for the rest of eternity.  
  
She waited for the voice to come to her, directing her to its source, but it never came. Instead, there was another sound, this one much sadder than the calm voice of someone who needed her help.  
  
The first thing she heard was Nathyrra singing. It was a sad and mournful song of a lost love that was still haunting the left lover. The song reached out and grabbed Donnia's heart, letting any emotions she had left come to the surface and bleed out. But she was too exhausted to do anything.  
  
She just wanted to stay as she was, with the sad notes of Nathyrra's song wrapped around her. In this place between awake and asleep there was no cold, no pain, no memories. She clung tighter to whatever she was holding on to.  
  
That was when she started to wake up, with the feel of cold, hard armor wrapped around her, protecting her. The cold came back brutally and she clung even tighter to that armor.  
  
With the cold came the memories; at least all but one. She had no idea what had happened to get her to where she was now, wherever that may be. She remembered talking to Aribeth about the last days in Neverwinter and she remembered talking to Arden Swift briefly, but that's where it stopped. What had happened?  
  
She started to rise but a strong force kept her in place. "Let me up, we have to hurry or we'll be too late," she spoke to the unseen force. Donnia had yet to open her eyes to the fierce cold.  
  
The barrier holding her down relaxed and Donnia moved away from what had been holding her. She sat back and stared at Valen and nearly wept. It was true, it wasn't a dream, and she was not a statue anymore. His bright blue eyes were fixed on her with worry and concern. Apparently something important had happened.  
  
"Valen, why are you looking at me like that?"  
  
His expression became even more concerned, "You don't remember what happened?"  
  
"Apparently not."  
  
He reached out a hand to her, softly caressing her cheek, "You scared me, badly, my love. The way you were sleeping just now I was unsure if you were ever going to wake up. But you truly don't remember what happened?"  
  
"No, the last thing I remember was talking with that Arden Swift character for just a moment and then it just stops. What did I do to scare you? Valen, I don't understand what could have happened." She reached her hand up to his, clasping it in her own, and pulled it down to hold onto him with both of her hands, knowing something bad had happened but didn't care. He was real, not someone she had made up in her utter loneliness, and she was not about to let him go.  
  
Valen lightly squeezed her hand and told her what had happened with Arden Swift, what she had said, what she had done, and then what had happened afterwards. "I had to carry you out here, I couldn't get you to walk, but we had to get out of there. After sitting out here for a while you simply passed out. Nothing anyone tried could wake you, but we were afraid to move you. You were so cold and limp that I feared the worst though I could feel your heart beating. You were gone for so long."  
  
Donnia was getting worried herself, "What do you mean? How long?"  
  
"Two days. That was two days ago when you stopped crying. You didn't even move until just a few minutes ago." Valen squeezed her hand tighter, "I was afraid that I had lost you, that you were truly gone though your heart kept beating. I was so afraid of living without you now that I had found you. Though I've only known you a short while you've come to be everything to me."  
  
Donnia smiled, "And you to me." She leaned forward, removing her hands from his to softly trace his cheek, and pressed her lips to his. Within moments the cold was banished from her body to be replaced by a fiery warmth that spread throughout her entire being, inside and out. She threaded her fingers through his hair as she kissed him.  
  
Valen smiled against her kiss, for both the fact that she was okay and that she returned the strong feelings he had for her. He ran his fingers lightly down her cheek and traced over her neck where he could still feel the strong beating of her heart matching the beat of his own.  
  
Valen pulled back from the kiss and gently kissed her forehead, "We should get going, if you feel up to it."  
  
Donnia smiled at him and nodded, taking the hand that he offered her to help her stand up. "Where are Nathyrra and Lady Aribeth?" She remembered hearing Nathyrra singing when she woke up, but she saw no trace of the Drow woman now.  
  
Valen kept her hand in his as they walked off, "They went back into the tavern to buy some more velox berries. We ran really low these last two days so they went for some more."  
  
Just as he had finished speaking Donnia heard Nathyrra singing again, the song sounding even more melancholy now that she was fully awake. They came around the corner and both Nathyrra and Aribeth stood there shocked to see Donnia standing there. Aribeth held more shock in her expression at seeing her hand joined with Valen's.  
  
Donnia had not failed to notice the look on Aribeth's face when she had noticed her hand joined with Valen's. She hoped that it was a good shock and not something that would trouble her friend. Donnia knew well Aribeth's feelings on love, and had spent a long time picking up the pieces of the destruction Aribeth left in her wake. Yet despite this and her worry over her reaction, Donnia could not make herself break the contact between herself and Valen. Now she knew why she had despaired over the thought of him not existing; he was everything to her and she could not think of her life without him.  
  
Nathyrra rushed over to her friend, thankful she was awake, "Thank the gods, Donnia! You are awake! Are you okay? What happened?"  
  
Aribeth was not far behind her, "We all feared the worst when we could not wake you."  
  
Donnia smiled at her friends, "I'm fine, really, I am. I'm not sure exactly what happened or why it did, but we really must hurry now. We have all five answers to the sensei's questions. Let's go talk to the Sleeping Man."  
  
The sensei had let them pass, having answered the questions all correctly. She had given Donnia her amulet that would let her communicate with the Sleeping Man as he slept. She thought to herself, I hope he can help us. If not, we're stuck here forever and Mephistopheles wins.  
  
The four of them continued on down the hallway to the chamber where the Sleeping Man had been sleeping for countless years. At least, the same location; the temple had been built by the sensei and her pilgrims to keep him safe while he slept.  
  
They reached the end of the hallway and slowly Donnia pushed open the door. The room was cast in a deep green glow, giving everything an odd, dream- like aura around it. There was something, a soft sound playing at the edge of Donnia's mind. It was too soft to understand but it almost sounded familiar.  
  
Before Donnia entered the room, Aribeth stopped her, "Donnia, do you have a moment?"  
  
Donnia turned to face her, "Sure, Lady Aribeth, what is it?"  
  
"Do you feel it? There is an aura of goodness about this place, surrounding this man. You can't help but succumb to it and feel at peace here." For the first time in gods knew how many years, Donnia saw Aribeth smile, an honest smile that was not borne out of torture and death.  
  
She could feel it herself as well as hear that ever-beckoning song. She knew she had heard it before, but could not recall where. The tune was familiar, now if only it were louder so she could truly hear it. "It makes me happy to see you smile again, Lady Aribeth."  
  
"I cannot help but smile here. But this is not the time to dawdle; we will speak again later."  
  
Donnia nodded and turned to walk toward the prone form of the Sleeping Man. With each step the song grew louder, more distinct. It did not take long for Donnia to now realize where she had heard it; it was the song that Nathyrra had just been singing, the song that had woken her from her deep sleep earlier that day.  
  
Donnia looked over at Nathyrra, but she gave no notice that she could hear the song. She looked at Aribeth and Valen, but they too showed no signs that they could hear the mournful song. That was when she remembered the amulet she had hanging around her neck; perhaps that was why she could hear it.  
  
She knelt beside the Sleeping Man, seeing the words "She will meet you at the gates of Cania" engraved near his body, just as Aribeth had said. She turned her attention toward the man himself and was curious as to all of the different forms planetar's come in. Like the rest of the room, his skin was a soft green. His well-muscled chest rose with each deep breath he took as he dreamed. His wings were relaxed and wrapped around him. On his face was a peaceful smile saying that his dreams brought him great joy. Perhaps he was thinking of his one true love, Donnia thought to herself. She wondered who that person might be, but now was not the time for idle thoughts.  
  
Donnia tried using the amulet as the sensei had told her, but her mind would not relax as was required to peer into his mind. She was terrified as to what could be happening back in the Underdark, what had been happening, as she lay asleep for those two days.  
  
Swearing softly under her breath, Donnia put the amulet back around her neck and stared at the Sleeping Man. The only option left now was to wake him up. She tried poking him, but he did not move. She tried pushing him, he did not move. She tried shaking him, but he did not move. She did everything she could think of but the Sleeping Man still slept.  
  
She was just beginning to wonder if there was anyone else who might know anything enough to help them if even just a little when Valen knelt down beside her. "Valen, he's our only chance of getting out of here to stop Mephistopheles. I can't get him to wake up and this damn amulet is useless."  
  
Valen smiled at her, "I'm sure there's some way of getting him to wake up." He pulled a small trumpet out from his pack and handed it to her. "Try this, I'm sure he'll hear it...provided the building doesn't collapse around us."  
  
Donnia looked at the trumpet in her hands, recognizing it as the trumpet that that bastard Arden Swift had told them about. It did not look to be as powerful as he had said, but this was their last option and she was ready to try anything.  
  
She placed the trumpet to her lips and began blowing air through it. No sound came out and she began to wonder of maybe she was doing it right when a low sound started coming from the horn. It started very softly but quickly rose to a great volume causing the walls of the chamber around them to shake as though they meant to collapse. Just as the sounds faded, the Sleeping Man stirred and slowly rose from the floor. But before Donnia had the chance to say anything a great light from a magical portal was opened and the sensei came charging through it from the other side of the temple.  
  
She ran at them screaming, "No! You musn't wake the Sleeping Man!"  
  
Donnia figured that the woman was just a little obsessed over this man, but quickly ran out of time to think about it as she saw how the sensei had begun casting some spell over the four of them. Nathyrra quickly started chanting her own trying to dispel whatever it was the sensei was doing as Donnia rushed toward her to try and calm her down.  
  
As Donnia approached the sensei removed a long sword and moved to attack Donnia, swinging it wildly in her direction. Donnia moved back a step, then another quickly as the sensei continued her charge, still swinging the sword violently.  
  
Donnia tried to explain her actions, why she had woken him up, but the woman would not listen. She kept screaming the same phrase over and over again. Eventually, Donnia had had enough and moved to take the offensive, pulling her own sword from her side.  
  
The fight was short. Donnia wondered if it was due to the sensei's inexperience at battle or just from her spending more time on raving like a lunatic about the Sleeping Man than in her own defense. Either way, the sensei was dead. Donnia hated to think about it now. The woman had seemed so calm and peaceful when they had spoken earlier and now she lay dead at her hand. But this was not the time to wonder about it. There was something else more important.  
  
As Donnia turned to face the Sleeping Man, she noticed the song had stopped. She wondered if it was because of the death of the sensei or because the Sleeping Man was no longer sleeping.  
  
"What happened?" the Sleeping Man asked to no one in particular, but because he was facing Nathyrra when he said it, it was she that answered him.  
  
"We woke you with the Trumpet of Pandemonium. We did not wish to wake you in such a manner, but there was no other option left to us. We are looking for the Reaper's True Name so that we can return to the world of Toril to defeat Mephistopheles before he turns that world into a tenth hell. Can you help us?" The entire time that Nathyrra spoke the Sleeping Man never shifted his gaze from hers. His attention was so complete it was as if the other three of them did not even exist to him. However, as she finished speaking, he seemed to be brought out of his trance and looked around at the other members of the party.  
  
"To know the Reaper's True Name you must find the Knower of Names."  
  
This time it was Donnia who replied to him, "Might you know where we could find her?"  
  
"No, I do not, but I do know who does. Her sister, the Knower of Places, will be able to tell you how to find her sister. When you meet her you can ask all of the questions you wish but only one can be of where. I made the mistake of asking her the wrong question. Do not make the same mistake as I did. You will be able to find the Knower of Places by a ring that I forged but then broke into three pieces. When you wear it the way will be laid out before you. I will open the portal to take you to it. Oh, and I do apologize for the guards, they were just another form of security."  
  
"Thank you for your help. You cannot know how much I truly appreciate your kindness," Donnia spoke to him as the portal opened.  
  
"There is one more thing before you leave, only three people may pass through the portal. That too is another safety measure I took when I placed the ring there. One of you must remain behind."  
  
Donnia turned to her three companions to ask who would wish to stay behind, but before the question had even formed on her lips, Nathyrra spoke up, "Donnia, I would wish to stay here, if that would be okay with you."  
  
"If that is what you want then I'm not going to stop you." Donnia nodded her head in the direction of the portal for the other two to go on ahead. Aribeth, followed by Valen disappeared into the portal. Donnia once again thanked the Sleeping Man for his help as she too disappeared into the portal, also thankful that she was awake, not a statue in the Great Desert, and that she had found love when she never knew she had been looking for it.  
  
[A/N: Sorry for the long time between posts. I had to move home from school and am just now getting my computer put back up. I know I don't usually say anything in my chapters, nor do I want to be one of those people who beg for reviews, but I would like to know that people are out there reading this and I'm not just posting it to take up space on the internet. Even if no one is reading it currently as this is being recently posted, I will still write this out, I'm only now getting to the good stuff, so if this is being read at a much later date and there aren't any chapters after this one and you would like to keep reading it, just send me an e-mail. But I may continue to post it depending on how many people are out there reading it and enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoy writing it.] 


	28. A City Shudders

Chapter 27  
  
The room was stone, a dark sandy color unlike the color of the sand Donnia had been forced to stare at for so long. She had no idea how much time had passed. For all she knew it could have been two or three days or as long as two or three centuries. Looking down at her hands, the truest teller of age, they looked just as they had before meeting the medusa, scarred from battle, calloused from her sword, but they showed no signs of advancing age. However long she had been a statue had not changed her body; it was as if she had been literally frozen in time while the rest of the world had continued on.  
  
She had not ventured far when she found Dorna. A look of pure terror was permanently etched on her face. Her hands were raised in front of her face trying in vain to protect herself from a now invisible foe. Dorna still stood as a statue, frozen with just her mind to keep her company.  
  
Donnia reached out to her, lightly touching her arm and spoke softly, "Hold on just a little while longer. I will find a way to free you. Don't succumb to the darkness. Just hold on." With that Donnia turned and left the little room that housed Dorna's frozen form as though it were some kind of treasure, not a person fighting to keep her sanity as Donnia herself had done.  
  
Donnia approached what seemed to be a great hall that had but one occupant; a tall lizard-like man who looked as though he were in charge merely by the way he stood. Donnia slowly approached him, her hand going to her weapon by sheer instinct, though as she moved it there began to wonder if it was there at all. A wave of thankfulness overcame her as she gripped her greatsword. She had barely stepped into view before he turned to her.  
  
"I see you have awoken, my little treasure. When I found you I was unsure if you were truly a statue or another victim of Heurodis. Either way, you are mine now; I found you and I'm going to keep you." His deep voice resonated throughout the hall they were standing in. He was not speaking loudly but Donnia was able to hear him quite clearly despite her distance from him.  
  
"I belong to no one; least of all you," Donnia spoke back to him, keeping her voice as low as his, it also carrying quite well in the room. She had not just overcome a medusa's curse only to become a possession.  
  
He grinned, if one could call it that, at her bravado, but was not impressed. "The way I see it, you were left in that desert for an untold amount of time. No one ever came to claim you, protect you, find you, so you're mine."  
  
The words stung in their truthfulness. No, no one would have come looking for her, save the halflings she had left behind to find Dorna and Telwern. It was then that Donnia realized how much she missed her parents. They would have gone to look for her had she disappeared, but they were gone, and with them, everyone in Donnia's life was gone as well. She knew no one would have come to find her, protect her, for there was no one. She was everything she had. Despite her sudden sadness at realizing her aloneness, she was not about to become someone's possession. "You cannot claim another's life as your own, no matter the circumstances surrounding their discovery. The only person I belong to is me." And even then it's not always true, she continued in her head.  
  
"You are a spirited one, I'll give you that. But I can't have you going around with these ideas in your head. So, I'll just have to fix this little problem of yours." As he finished the last word he produced a small collar from a pack he wore at his side. Donnia was quick in her movements at any other time than this. Before she could dodge him or knock the collar from his hand, it was fastened tightly around her neck, barely allowing her room enough to breathe deeply.  
  
Donnia began to pull her sword from its sheath to attack, but as she did a sharp jolt of pain coursed through her body. It seemed as though every nerve in her body had been set aflame. Her hand jerked away from the hilt of her sword as she dropped to her knees. Her breath was ragged, her heart racing, her fury unbounded. "What...have you...done...to me..." she managed between gasping for air.  
  
A cold glint came to his eye, "You are now my slave, and you shall ever be my slave as long as that collar is around your neck. While wearing it you must stay within the bounds of this city, but may only enter certain areas of it. You cannot attack me nor any of my other slaves unless they were to attack you first. If you were to try and escape the city, thinking you could bear the pain, think again. What you felt was just a small jolt compared to what you would feel if you attempted to leave here. The only way to remove the collar is to have me remove it myself. No other being in the Realms can remove it, for if they try, you, and they, will die. Do you understand?" he asked at her doubled-over form on the floor.  
  
Donnia weakly nodded her head in ascent. She slowly rose to her feet, feeling very sick to her stomach, her head pounded, and her joints felt as though they were made of parchment. Once she regained her balance she stood before him through the obvious pain it caused her, not bent over clutching to her stomach, but instead stood tall, not showing a sign of weakness, hoping he might reconsider what he had just done. "You will pay for what you have done to me; make no mistake about that..." Just as she was about to sat something else, the floor lurched beneath her feet. She feared it was another spell of dizziness from the jolt caused by the slave collar, but she noticed that her captor also lost his footing. As she adjusted to the rhythmic swaying of the floor, she noticed that it was not just the floor that was moving, the entire building they were standing in was shaking. "What is going on?" Donnia asked him accusingly.  
  
"Heurodis. She's trying to raise Undrentide to its once past stature and importance, ever so literally."  
  
Donnia narrowed her eyes at him, thinking over what he had just said. "What do you mean 'raise'?"  
  
He sighed, "I mean that she is trying to get the great flying city of Undrentide back into the sky."  
  
Donnia's eyes flew open in shock. She had heard the tales as a young child from her parents of these great cities that floated high among the clouds. They were magnificent places filled with only the best of the magic-users in all the land. She thought they were just a myth, a legend even, but to know that she was actually standing in one of the greatest of all of the flying cities herself was near to overwhelming.  
  
After a few short minutes the city stopped shaking and returned to its rest again in the sands of the Great Desert. Donnia once again turned her attention to the lizard-man before her. She longed to be able to strike at him, to make him suffer for what he had done to her, but she knew that there were other things that were more important at that time. "What of my companion? I saw that you brought her back with you as well. Will you be able to return her to flesh?"  
  
He turned his gaze from the ceiling above to look at Donnia when he answered, "Yes, there is a potion that can turn your friend from her stony form. But it will cost you. It is a rare find indeed and I cannot afford to just give it away."  
  
"Name your price."  
  
He asked a very high price, but money meant nothing to Donnia. She had more than enough to keep her healthy for many, many years to come and she could allow Dorna to be frozen any longer than necessary.  
  
Just as she was about to turn back to free Dorna from her prison, her "owner" called out to her, "You cannot leave just yet. I must give you your assignment."  
  
Donnia slowly turned to face him, "Assignment?"  
  
"Yes, your assignment. You did not believe that you could just exist here without earning your keep? The city is still over one third buried in the sand, but already we have uncovered something that we cannot destroy ourselves. Some of the old inhabitants of the cities kept golems as guards over their belongings. Those golems still exist today. Since you obviously seem to be more than capable of taking down a golem, I will leave that task to you and your friend. There are ten of them throughout the city. If you were to destroy all ten I might grant you and your friend some extra privileges."  
  
Donnia nodded, "I will return when they are all destroyed."  
  
The sweat ran from her face in streams, flowed freely beneath her armor. Dirt, grime, dust, and blood clung to every part of exposed skin and discolored her armor. Dorna was in no better condition. Nine golems had been found thus far and nine golems had been destroyed. True, Donnia had faced many golems before, of all different kinds, but one never adjusted to their immense size and no one could ever predict how hard the battle would be to destroy them.  
  
The city of Undrentide had long been dead. Only recently had their been any activity, all of which began with Heurodis' wish to bring the city back to its original power and stature. The only inhabitants of the city were desert beetles and large spiders. They had roamed freely throughout the city, but most were now reduced to carved-up corpses having tried to attack Dorna and Donnia.  
  
They had spoken little but Dorna was in awe of her new-found companion. She had heard stories of the Hero of Neverwinter and how she had taken on an entire army of Maugrim and Aribeth's forces and defeated them when they had been backed by the power of the Old Ones. The Hero had searched over most of Faerun looking for those who had caused the plague so that they could be dealt with. Dorna could only dream of the fame that Donnia must have encountered. She thought that Donnia would be happy about all of this; being recognized for her work to save the city and ultimately the rest of Faerun from the Wailing Death and Morag, having people offering goods, food, money, and who knows what else in their show of thanks. However, every time that Dorna could look into Donnia's face and eyes, it was not happiness that she saw there.  
  
Her eyes were dark. The skin around them was near to black with exhaustion. Her bright emerald orbs were dull and lifeless, their color near to unrecognizable. There was something always behind her eyes that made Dorna ache to know what it was. She could guess though; lack of hope. She wondered why Donnia felt that way. They were so close to finishing their task. Soon they would be able to visit the library and other rooms that were now cut off to them by their slave collars. Dorna hoped that those rooms would contain clues as to how to stop Heurodis. It seemed that the city was shaking more and more often and it was becoming more and more violent each time. She wondered how long it would be until the city really would leave its place in the sand and take it place once again in the sky.  
  
While Dorna continued on her thoughts as to why Donnia had lost her hope, Donnia herself was only thinking of the task before her. She could not afford to think on anything else until that tenth golem had been found and destroyed. After that, she would only think of the next thing that must be done. She feared that if she looked too far in advance that she would not be able to deal with the here and now. And the here and now was what had the power to kill her, while it was the rest that had the power to destroy whatever was left of her spirit and hope that had not been shattered since leaving Neverwinter.  
  
By this time, the two women had figured out the quickest and easiest way to destroy the golems; to attack their joints. Once the limbs were inactive the rest was easy; hack and slash until it was reduced to a pile of gravel.  
  
Turning another one of the countless corners in the city streets both Donnia and Dorna could hear the tell-tale sounds of a moving golem. The stone-on-stone racket reverberated between the buildings leading the predator to their prey. Like many of the others, this golem was still advertising its creator in a repeated phrase. Idly, Donnia wondered how many times the golem had repeated that same phrase. The thought made a small smile appear on her lips, but she quickly dismissed it focusing rather on how they would sneak up on this golem so that they could begin their attack from behind and not have to try and get behind it once they had been spotted; for that was no simple feat.  
  
Without speaking the two already knew the other's approach; Donnia would go first, attempt to deactivate one of its knees before Dorna would come in and repeat the process on the other knee. Her sword raised and at the ready, Donnia slowly and quietly moved in behind the golem. Having basically lived in her armor for so many years, she was able to move in it as freely as she was able to in her cotton tunic and pants. She was thankful for that range of movement as the golem must have detected her presence and whirled faster than any being that large should have the ability to do so.  
  
The golem leered, if a creature of stone can do so, down at her from well over twice Donnia's height. It was half as wide as it was tall, giving the golem an obvious advantage of size and it also seemed to posses the ability to move quite quickly in the event it should need to, as in this moment now.  
  
Almost without warning the golem raised one arm and brought it down with such speed and precision, Donnia barely had time to register what was happening and move out of the way before the great arm crashed into the floor right where she had been standing only a few short moments before.  
  
The golem raised its arm from the giant crater it had left in the walkway and once again turned to face Donnia. She hoped that she could occupy it long enough so that Dorna would be able to succeed where she herself had failed.  
  
She barely had time to spare a glance at Dorna before the golem once again demanded her attention. This time the golem moved as though it was once again going to try and crush her like a small bug, but as its arm came down from above, Donnia failed to see the other arm sweeping in from the side. She noticed to late and the great stone arm hit her hard and threw her into the opposite wall 15 feet from where she had been standing. The air was crushed out of her lungs as the arm hit her in the side causing pain to radiate from the wound she had suffered from Aribeth in that last fight. Her body flew into the wall hard enough to break the stone and leave an imprint of the form of her body as she fell from the wall and onto the floor, blood flowing freely from countless places on and inside her body. She lay there, crumpled on the floor as Dorna was able to come in undetected and destroyed both knees by throwing her war hammer into each with enough force to bring the golem down closer to her level.  
  
Dorna prayed inside her mind that she could dispatch this nuisance quickly enough so that she could help Donnia before it was too late.  
  
With the golem stationary Dorna made quick work of blasting out its shoulders to keep it from doing the same to her as it had done to Donnia. Dorna stopped and stood to face what was left of the once great golem; a tall torso with the head still attached that was having horrible noises coming from it that would have been borne of pain could the thing feel. She tightly gripped the handle to her hammer, not praying for true aim for she knew she had the ability without the interference of her god, but instead prayed that her companion would survive and that this golem would fall in one more blow, for that was all of the energy that Dorna had left.  
  
Twisting her body to get a greater range to build her momentum, Dorna swung her hammer with both arms with all of the might she had left and sent the hammer flying powerfully into the head of the waiting golem. With a sound that could hardly be described, the head exploded into millions of pieces as the hammer rammed into it.  
  
The torso fell over, crashing loudly into the floor, but Dorna barely registered the sound as she rushed over to pick up her hammer and moved quickly to Donnia's side. Donnia had not moved from the place where she had fallen after being thrown. Her arm was limp when Dorna raised it in her own. Dorna suddenly wished for the ring her teacher, Master Drogan, had given her and his other students that would teleport them back to his side should they ever come to harm greater than they could control. Thinking on her old teacher who had been killed in teleporting her and Telwern to this part of the desert pulled at Dorna's heart, but she did not have time now to think about it; Donnia needed her undivided attention.  
  
Dorna quickly reached into her pack and removed the strongest healing potion she had and hoped it would be enough. She raised Donnia's head slowly and carefully, not wanting to cause more injury than she had already suffered. She pulled the cork out of the bottle with her teeth and spit it aside, and forced Donnia's lips to part and slowly poured the potion into Donnia's mouth hoping that instinct would overcome her incapacity to move and that she would swallow and not choke on the potion.  
  
Dorna's pleas were answered as Donnia slowly swallowed the potion. Once the bottle had been drained, she kept Donnia's head propped up with her arm while the potion took effect. Dorna noticed as the shallow breaths being drawn by Donnia started to return to the normal deep breathing she would expect after such an ordeal.  
  
Suddenly Donnia sat up and looked about her to find the enemy that had been there when she had lost consciousness, but no enemy was in sight. She saw only the shattered remains of the golem that had put her in this condition. The sudden movement had caused her to become very dizzy and her head was pounding. Donnia sat very still and cradled her hand softly with both of her hands as she waited for the room to stop spinning about her.  
  
Dorna rose and offered a hand down to help Donnia rise from her position on the floor. Donnia gladly accepted the help and took her hand in her own and the two of them managed to get her off of the floor. Once Donnia was standing securely without wanting to fall over from the great dizziness that had overcome her, she looked down to Dorna. "Thank you," was all she could think to say. She wanted to say more, but no more words would come.  
  
The dwarf woman smiled, "You are more than welcome, my lady. Shall we report back that all of the golems have been destroyed?"  
  
Donnia said nothing but smiled in return. As the two started to walk to return to the main hall the great city shuddered again all around them. Without a word the two broke into a run; they were running out of time.  
  
[A/N: Wow, I'm so glad that you all enjoy my story so much. I will keep on putting up the chapters as I complete them. Throughout most of the rest of the summer the chapters should come pretty quickly as I am out of school and don't work most evenings. More than likely I will be posting my story to ladiesofneverwinter.com sometime, or just putting a link there back to here. Either way, that sight is wonderful. So, thanks for all of your positive feedback. It's what keeps me writing!] 


	29. There's Just Too Much

Chapter 28 – There's Just Too Much That Time Cannot Erase

The last of three bone golems fell in a heap of dust and bone fragments. After each had been destroyed a pillar of light shone on a pedestal. Before Donnia had the chance to see what was on the pedestal, another guardian appeared. She turned to approach the first of the three pedestals and stopped in mid-step with her sword only half in its sheath. She knew they were close, but it still seemed so far away until now.

Valen still stood in an attack stance, his hands tightly gripped about the handle of his flail. His eyes had turned from their usual deep cerulean to a piercing red. His upper lip was pulled back in a snarl. All of this was focused on Donnia.

"V-Valen? Are you okay, my love?" Donnia asked haltingly, not wanting to inadvertently spark his attack.

He said nothing but began to circle her, looking for her weakness.

Donnia turned with him, moving her hands away from her weapons, keeping him always in view. "Valen, the attack is over. We have won." She could not spare a moment to check on Aribeth, but silently hoped her friend was handling herself cautiously as well.

She knew that a fight with Valen would end badly for both of them. She just prayed to whatever deity was listening that she could avoid one completely.

"Valen, it is alright. You are here with me and Aribeth. There are no baatezu around. You are safe here. We are not here to harm you. Please, my love, hear me and answer." Slowly she reached out a hand to him, an offering of peace and a lifeline.

He stared first at her face then down at her hand. When he looked back up into her eyes she could see the war going on behind them, see him fighting against his taint. He lowered his weapon in indecision and Donnia took this as her chance.

She approached him cautiously but quickly, hoping she would not be wrong in her guess of how to help him fight back. She framed his face with her hands and pressed her lips to his. It was not a kiss borne of passion but one of hope, hope that it would help him to find his way back to her.

At first he did not respond and she feared that she had been wrong and that at any moment he would snap her neck. Her fears were quickly abated when he slowly began to respond to her kiss.

Valen was not the only one fighting an inner war. Aribeth too was fighting against herself. She was Donnia's friend and she trusted her implicitly. However, she was also a paladin whose duty it was to strike down all forms of evil. She had all but seen the evil rolling off him during that last fight, and especially afterwards, when he had started to turn against Donnia. _Maybe it was just a fluke. Maybe it will never happen again. _At least she hoped so. She did not want to see her friend hurt. _Or maybe she too has turned evil and is keeping him as a companion so that together they can strike down all who would stand against them in the name of all that is good. _Aribeth shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. When they still remained jumbled she made a promise to herself and to her god, Tyr: _I, Aribeth de Tylmarande, paladin of Tyr, vow here and now that should this apparent being of evil, Valen Shadowbreath, again intend to bring harm to myself or to another member of this group I will strike him down by my hand and sword. _

_But what if I'm wrong?_

While Aribeth had been lost in her own thoughts, Valen and Donnia had broken their kiss and were left staring at each other. A silent tear glided down Donnia's cheek. He no longer doubted his motions, but followed through on them as they came to him. He wiped away her tear, much as he had done when he had caused her pain before. "I don't know what to say to you, how to apologize for what I did, or almost did. I don't know if there is anything I could say. I told myself that I would never again cause you to cry, but I can see that I have already failed in that. I'm so sorry that I caused you pain again, my love." He cringed slightly at the words. He didn't know how she could still feel love for him after what had almost happened. He just knew that the longer he remained in the hells the harder it would become for him to fight against his taint.

"Perhaps...perhaps it would be better if I stayed behind, if you went on without me. I'm only going to cause you more pain and put you into more danger the longer I am here. I can't allow myself to let that happen. I would never be able to live with myself if I let harm come to you or even worse, harmed you myself." It was obvious the idea was something he didn't want to do, but it was also obvious that it was the only option he saw that could work out.

Donnia lifted a hand to his face, sliding the loose tendril of hair behind his ear. She smiled up at him, tears still in her eyes, "You didn't cause my tears, but they are for you. I was scared that I had lost you, that I wouldn't be able to get you to come back to me. The thought of losing you is something I don't even want to consider. I could never leave you behind, my love. You are everything to me. If I left you behind, I would be leaving a part of me behind, the best part. So, just get all thoughts of being the tragic hero out of your head. I will never leave you behind. Never."

Valen smiled down at her, his eyes full of the emotions he wished he could convey to her. He could feel them backlogged in his throat, forming a lump, making it hard to swallow. She blurred in front of him and he blinked to clear his vision forcing a small tear from the corner of his eye. He made no move to wipe it away as Donnia softly brushed her thumb over the tear and smiled; "Now we're even."

The two turned back to Aribeth who had already collected the ring fragments from the pedestals. "We should hurry back to Nathyrra and the Sleeping Man. They will be wanting to hear from us," she said as she headed straight for the portal at the far end of the room.

Obviously I don't own these lyrics

The three came back to through the portal in another flash of bright light in the shadowed, green room. The song Nathyrra had been singing before only intensified with her so near to another source of the same song, the Sleeping Man himself. The words were just as melancholy as before, but seemed so much more powerful coming from the both of them. Donnia knew that neither Valen nor Aribeth could hear it as she did. The necklace around her neck allowed her this song to herself, sharing ir only with those it originated from.

My Immortal – Evanescence

"I'm so tired of being here,

suppressed by all my childish fears.

And if you have to leave,

I wish that you would just leave

because your presence still lingers here,

and it won't leave me alone.

These wounds won't seem to heal.

This pain is just too real.

There's just too much that time cannot erase.

When you'd cry, I'd wipe away all of your tears.

When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears.

And I've held your hand through all of these years,

but you still have all of me.

You used to captivate me

by your resonating light.

But now I'm bound by the life you left behind.

Your face, it haunts my once pleasant dreams.

Your voice, it chased away all the sanity in me.

I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone,

and though you're still with me,

I've been alone all along."

It was that song that had brought Donnia back. It was that song that she could hear in her mind.

She did not understand why she heard it then. It was by no means a happy song. One not meant to be shared by lovers, but maybe, past lovers. Pushing those thoughts from her head, Donnia focused on the task before her.

She approached the Sleeping Man, "We have collected the three parts to your ring."

He turned to face her, his face an image of true calmness, "Now you must assemble them to the one ring they form. Only then will you be able to see my path before you."

Donnia turned to Aribeth to collect the ring fragments from her. She noticed that every time that Valen moved, Aribeth's eyes followed him. Always wary, always cautious, her gaze never left his motions.

Donnia did not understand why she would act in such a way. "Aribeth? Could you please give me the ring fragments?"

Distractedly, Aribeth retrieved them from her pack and handed them to Donnia, pulling her eyes from Valen only when absolutely necessary.

With one final look at Aribeth, Donnia looked to the three fragments in her hand. Going by what her heart told her, she assembled the ring and slipped it on her finger. Immediately the room around her changed. The once green room shone in a dark red tint. A path was formed in a deeper shade that ran from the room and would continue along the Sleeping Man's path from so long ago.

Donnia turned to her friends, "We must hurry."

The four of them quickly departed the room, and only one glanced back, giving one last look to the Sleeping Man before he was out of sight.


End file.
